Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare

Arctic Monkeys are definitely not the average indie guitar band, for a number of reasons. Firstly, they were so sought after before they had even released an album that their live shows sold out in minutes, with tickets being touted on eBay for hundreds of pounds each. Secondly, upon its arrival, debut album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" became the fastest selling debut album in U.K chart history. And now we have a third point to add; sophomore album "Favourite Worst Nightmare" does not live up to its massive anticipation, it completely obliterates it.

There had been a lot of speculation over whether Sheffield based Arctic Monkeys could come up with the goods for their second album. There doubters left, right and centre slipping in comments like "they're just an internet band", or "they are over-hyped teenagers". Even more doubts arose when original bassist Andy Nicholson was kicked out of the band because he couldn't cope with extensive touring.

But, before you've even said go', an eight-armed drummer knocks the doubters down like skittles and surf guitars wiggle their way in like angry snakes for lead single, "Brianstorm". An outlandishly suspicious character that the band met on tour in Japan inspired this charging bull of a track. If you're not already left breathless by Alex Turner's urgent vocals, the cynical "Teddy Picker" comes jabbing in. A pop-shot at reality TV celebrities' and the 15 minutes of fame' culture cramming itself into our magazines, "Teddy Picker" sounds like debut album track "Fake Tales Of San Francisco" in need of anger management.

The first two tracks off the album end, and it would seem that they were positioned at the beginning to set the record straight with the doubters. Alex Turner's lyrics are as sharp as ever, and the band did not settle for releasing an album full of easy-listening pop songs. Instead, they've fed the sceptics to their merciless engine and gone full speed ahead. There's no let up on the next two tracks either. "D Is For Dangerous" is a blues driven anthem with riffs robbed from Queens Of The Stone Age book. "Balaclava" raises the words-per-second bar higher still.

Five tracks into the album and "Fluorescent Adolescent" arrives. It arrives as quite a surprise, too, as it takes on all the classic observational lyricists. "You used to get it in your fishnets/Now you only get it in your night dress" chimes Alex, weaving a story about a failing sex life. The guitars can't be described as anything less than bouncy in this glorious pop moment. 50's style crooner "Only Ones Who Know" takes the album further from its original direction with sliding guitars that make you feel like you are on a Hawaiian beach.

Just as you think that we're going to return to balls-out explosiveness, the first real tear-jerker of the album arrives next in the form of "Do Me A Favour". These are not the childish, playful boys we knew from the last album. They have done a lot of growing up on the road and this reflects itself over the course of tracks such as "This House Is A Circus" and "If You Were There, Beware". There are no more stories of Friday nights on the town in Sheffield, they are replaced with genuine feelings of love and hate.

But it's on album closer "505" that the band really let go of their past, and provide one of the album's highlights. This song could easily provide the backdrop for a Hollywood hit as it slowly builds up towards a massive climax. Alex Turner's spot on vocals suddenly explode with the dramatic line "I crumble completely when you cry" and the listener is dragged through every painful scene in this heart-wrenching tale.

To conclude, Arctic Monkeys have released the second album that extends beyond anyone's expectations. Their sound has expanded like the first few moments after the big bang and not a single hand remains raised in speculation at the end of the record. Arctic Monkeys have found their forte.