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Piledriver Waltz

Arctic Monkeys

The one time I saw the Arctic Monkeys live I was disappointed: coming in expecting an evening of smart, pop-inflected rock, instead I found a withering sonic assault in which few melodies survived. The crunchy chukka-chukka guitars had me reaching for my earplugs; could these really be the craftsmen behind “Mardy Bum” and “Fake Tales of San Francisco”? The only moment I smiled was during “Fluorescent Adolescent,” that wry, knowing tale of growing up and losing one’s cool: Here Alex Turner’s voice, easily the band’s most underrated asset, floated high enough above the din to tell a story.

The Monkeys’ new record (Suck It and See, ugh) may be the best showcase for Turner’s voice yet. The chukka-chukka has all but disappeared, and in its place we find chiming guitars and good old-fashioned crooning. The highlight is “Piledriver Waltz,” a breakup song notable for its empathy. On one hand Turner knows she hates him: “I heard the news that you’re planning / to shoot me out of a cannon.” On the other he knows how much she’s hurting: “You look like you’ve been for breakfast at the heartbreak hotel.” Even when he snipes at her for playing the martyr — “if you’re gonna try and walk on water, make sure you wear your comfortable shoes” — the accusation isn’t hurled so much as sighed. The song wheels to bittersweet conclusion with much left unsaid, and one of England’s best songwriters lets us fill in the gaps.

(track via indietrack)

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