Music
Everything You Need To Know About Arctic Monkeys' New Album, The Car
From the first single to the much discussed tracklist.
After taking a trip to outer space on their last album — 2018’s Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino — the Arctic Monkeys are back revving up the engines again, as their seventh record The Car on the way. With a release date right around the corner, a tracklist, and plenty of early detail from vocalist Alex Turner already out there, there’s much to get excited about. And now, we also have the first single from the album, as “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” has been released alongside a very cool looking music video.
To paraphrase the twisted rock stomper at the heart of 2013’s AM, do you wanna know? Of course you do, dear reader. In which case, stay with us.
The Car Themes
In an interview with The Big Issue, lead vocalist Turner dug straight into the creative process behind The Car and dropped some pretty clear hints around what to expect from the Sheffield-formed rock band’s seventh album, recorded in London, Suffolk, and Paris.
“On this record, sci-fi is off the table. We are back to earth,” he said. Turner seemed to be alluding to the left-field direction of Arctic Monkeys’ previous album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino — a space-age glam-rock opera about a luxury holiday resort on the moon. “I think we’ve got closer to a better version of a more dynamic overall sound with this record,” the singer added. “The strings on this record come in and out of focus and that was a deliberate move and hopefully everything has its own space. There’s time the band comes to the front and then the strings come to the front.”
Incredibly, this year marks 20 years of Arctic Monkeys and elaborating on the creation of The Car, Turner said that the band felt themselves deviating towards the instinctive methods that powered their breakthrough debut. “You have to follow your instincts in the same way you did in the first place,” he shared. “In that way, it does all feel like it’s connected to us 20 years ago in the garage when it was pure instinct.”
The band previewed the first glimpse of The Car at Zurich Openair Festival in Switzerland. Featuring a thumping Motown-style beat, funk guitar, and touches of the cinematic composition at the heart of their last record, “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am” sounds like a winner so far.
The Car Release Date
In a similar vein to Beyoncé earlier this year, Arctic Monkeys are forgoing surprise drops and secret releases — instead confirming a release date for The Car straight off the bat. Out on October 21, the album will be available as a standard LP, CD, cassette, or digital edition, with a couple of deluxe options also up for grabs in limited numbers. As well as a grey vinyl deluxe edition up for pre-order now, there’s also a super-limited edition in a rather fetching shade of custard up for grabs — only available from independent record stores from release day onwards. October 21 will be an important day for music-lovers, as Taylor Swift drops her new album that same day.
The Car Track Listing
The band has also confirmed the running order for their new album, comprising ten songs. All written by lead singer Turner, the entire record is produced by James Ford — a founding member of house duo Simian Mobile Disco. Ford is a familiar collaborator for the band, and is credited as a producer on every Monkeys album, aside from their 2006 debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. He also worked with Turner on his side-project The Last Shadow Puppets, producing their 2008 album, Age Of The Understatement. The track-list for The Car is as follows:
1. There’d Better Be A Mirrorball
2. I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am
3. Sculptures Of Anything Goes
4. Jet Skis On The Moat
5. Body Paint
6. The Car
7. Big Ideas
8. Hello You
9. Mr. Schwartz
10. Perfect Sense
The Car Artwork
The band has also shared The Car’s cover art, which features a photograph taken by their drummer Matt Helders. Check it out below.
Arctic Monkeys 2022 Tour
After much speculation, Arctic Monkeys — currently mid-way through festival season — has shared plans to tour The Car in South America and Australia following its release. Full details of existing shows and festival slots are on the band’s website, and though there’s no UK shows announced as yet, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out around the time of the album release. The band currently has a suspiciously clear schedule on the gigs front during October, so watch this space.
