Released: 2007

Genres: Indie Rock, Post-Punk Revival, Garage Rock Revival

The Musiquarium’s Favourite Worst Nightmare Review Score: 5/5

Arctic Monkeys’ debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, was released only one year prior, but Alex Turner still had plenty left to say with its quick follow-up, Favourite Worst Nightmare.

Where bands like The Strokes (one of Turner’s biggest influences) basically released a rehashed version of their debut as a second album (Room on Fire is still great though), Favourite Worst Nightmare sounds much more distinctive from its predecessor, while still retaining the punk-leanings and very english lyrics of its predecessor.

Brianstorm rages out of the gate with incredibly challenging drumming from Matt Helders. Teddy Picker features the return of a particularly savage Alex Turner, with such scornful lyrics as “Who’d want to be men of the people, when there’s people like you?”. Fluorescent Adolescent is a tale of lost youth and was used as a theme in the first series of the cult classic British comedy, The Inbetweeners. D Is for Dangerous, Balaclava, This House Is a Circus and the Wizard of Oz-referencing Old Yellow Bricks are some of the band’s heaviest songs and are bangers through and through.

The drumless Only Ones Who Know is one of the band’s most soothing songs, as gentle as a light ocean breeze. If You Were There, Beware has the band experimenting with psychedelia, especially on its trippy bridge. The moody 505 matches the closer of the band’s debut album with a song every bit as mesmerizing as the generational anthem, A Certain Romance.

Alex Turner’s lyrics are as sharp and witty as they were on the band’s debut, and his guitar interplay with Jamie Cook is still amazing. Matt Helders’ drumming is exceptional and adventurous, and Nick O’Malley has replaced Andy Nicholson on bass, bringing a different dynamic to the band with his own style.

Favourite Worst Nightmare is one of the greatest sophomore albums of recent times, every bit as good as what came before it. The band handled the fame well and the rushed release of this album so soon after the first one was not an indication of quality, but of creativity, productivity and spontaneity.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Arctic Monkeys on Discogs.

Back to the 2007 Album Guide or the Arctic Monkeys Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard