{"id":39684,"date":"2006-03-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-03-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/whatever-people-say-i-am-thats-what-im-not\/"},"modified":"2006-03-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-03-20T00:00:00","slug":"whatever-people-say-i-am-thats-what-im-not","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/whatever-people-say-i-am-thats-what-im-not\/","title":{"rendered":"Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

I heart buzz bands. There’s nothing like the
\nunbridled and, many times, unwarranted hype of British press to
\ncatapult a band from obscurity to the limelight in an instant. Of
\ncourse, there are one of two outcomes to such praise, which is
\ntendered approximately 25 times each year: a) it really is the next
\nSgt. Pepper’s<\/i>, London Calling<\/i>, Nevermind<\/i>,
\n or b) it’s just OK.<\/p>\n

Hot on the heels of hype-meisters like Franz
\nFerdinand (overrated), Maximo Park (really overrated) and
\nFutureheads (underappreciated), Arctic Monkeys (rated below) are
\nnext in what appears to be a long line of U.K. art- and dance-punk
\nrevivalists. This worked for the Brit-pop genre in the 90s (neither
\nOasis or Blur are overrated), but the Arctic Monkeys are filling
\nless of a void, what with all the Raptures, Radio 4s and !!!s that
\nhave been around and acclaimed stateside for quite a while now.<\/p>\n

It’s easy to dismiss the Arctic Monkeys as Libertines
\nknock-offs, and The Libertines, as the British version of The
\nStrokes, were just OK. But, there’s a strange draw to the record as
\na whole, a draw larger than the handful of singles that propelled
\nthe band to claim the No. 1-fastest-selling debut of all time in
\nthe U.K.<\/p>\n

It’s not the everyman lyrics that describe waiting
\naround to go to the club, hanging out at said club, getting hassled
\nby bouncers and getting some ass. The blue-collar tint of their
\ntales is endearing and the semi-skilled drum-and-guitar-lead tunes
\nbecome increasingly addictive with each listen.<\/p>\n

I knew exactly what I was listening to until opener
\n“The View From The Afternoon” broke down to a guitar left-to-right
\ncall-and-response of jangling practice-in-the-basement guitar that
\nshifts from channel to channel. Add a contemporary and poetic
\nchorus like “And she won’t be surprised and she won’t be shocked \/
\nWhen she’s pressed the star after she’s pressed unlock \/ And
\nthere’s verse and chapter sat in her inbox \/ And all that it says
\nis that you’ve drank a lot,” and you’ve got yourself a buzz
\nband.<\/p>\n

While nothing has the hook of Ferdinand’s “Take Me
\nOut,” the record on the whole reserves a place in your mind,
\nwhether you invite it or not. There’s a strange familiarity to the
\nLP, like the track “Mardy Bum” that strikes a similar tone and
\ntempo to Sublime’s “Santeria.”<\/p>\n

Perhaps it’s the mundane content, heavy English
\naccent or difficulty putting a finger on the band’s influences that
\nmakes the band so attractive. As the title suggests, it’s hard to
\nsay what they are or are not. The U.K. hits “I Bet You Look Good on
\nthe Dancefloor” and “When the Sun Goes Down” are two of the least
\ninteresting tracks on the album.<\/p>\n

Each song does include a chant-worthy chorus like
\n“Kick me out, kick me out” on “Fake Tales from San Francisco” or
\n“Bear that in mind tonight” from “The View from the Afternoon,” to
\ngive it pop appeal. The signature is ramblings like the opening
\nverse to “From the Ritz to the Rubble” (“Last night these two
\nbouncers \/ And one of em’s alright \/ The other one’s the scary one
\n\/ His way or no way, totalitarian”) that really makes an
\nimpression: The Strokes fronted by Colin Meloy of The
\nDecemberists.<\/p>\n

Artic Monkeys won’t stand any test of time beyond 12 to 18 months,
\nbut they will carve their niche in a space of 2006 that indicates
\nthey were here and inspired hundreds of thousands to check them
\nout. Essential if you heart buzz bands, and more than just OK.<\/p>\n

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