A new young band with a great back-story is hard to resist and the Arctic Monkeys, straight out of Sheffield, England, certainly boasts one of the best rock ‘n’ roll tales the music industry has yet to come across. The quartet basically built up their fan base on the Internet after the demo CDs they handed out at gigs were circulated on the web for other people to hear. They were eventually signed by independent record label Domino Records, who wisely hosted their buzz-making demo online, an inspired marketing gambit.

Two number one Brit singles with I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor and When The Sun Goes Down right through lots of excitable reviews, sold out concerts later and – predictably – the band’s meteoric rise from bratty newcomers to household names is being compared to that of the Beatles.

Now that their debut album has finally hit the stores, one can now properly judge just how good a band they really are without all the hype. Listening to the energetic songs on the album, these lads sound pretty damn exciting. Musically, the Arctic’s homebrew essentially comprises stripped down, indie punk rock with melodic nods to great British bands like The Smiths, The Kinks and Blur with Oasis’ ear for football terrace anthems thrown in for good measure.

But what makes the Arctic Monkeys really stand out from their peers is their outstanding lyrical flair. Singer/ lyricist Alex Turner is a master of observation and makes full use of his skills to deliver wry observations of northern English lad culture that are both poignant and funny. With tales of wannabe rock stars (Fake Tales Of San Francisco), urban red-light districts (When The Sun Goes Down), nasty nightclub bouncers (From The Ritz To the Rubble), small town despair (the wonderful album closer A Certain Romance) and violent cops (Riot Van) all sung in Turner’s expressive and vibrant Yorkshire twang, Arctic Monkeys are basically serving up an updated version of British kitchen sink drama for the modern age. Think The Streets with guitars and you’ll be in the ballpark. CD imports and vinyl orders available at Music Magic in Central Market Kuala Lumpur (03-22746649).

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