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Humbug
Rock · 2009 · 12 tracks

Humbug

August 19, 2009 · Domino

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A thick, syrupy sludge replaces the band's signature high-speed garage energy, as if the songs have been dragged through the dust of the Mojave Desert.

The guitars vibrate with a heavy, sand-choked distortion, while a persistent carnivalesque dread creeps in through swirling vintage organs and a deliberate, heavy-footed drum stomp. The songwriting abandons kitchen-sink realism for cryptic, nocturnal character studies that demand deep listening.

Tracklist · 12 Tracks
01
My Propeller
3:28
02
Crying Lightning
3:43
03
Dangerous Animals
3:31
04
Secret Door
3:43
05
Potion Approaching
3:32
06
Fire and the Thud
3:58
07
Cornerstone
3:18
08
Dance Little Liar
4:43
09
Pretty Visitors
3:41
10
The Jeweller’s Hands
6:12
11
I Haven’t Got My Strange
1:30
12
Red Right Hand
4:18
Moments Worth Listening For
01My PropellerThe introduction of a Vox Continental organ on 'My Propeller' immediately establishes the album's dark, theatrical, and circus-like atmosphere.
02Crying LightningCo-producer Josh Homme's influence is felt on 'Crying Lightning' through the dry, heavy guitar tones that rumble beneath the vocal line.
09Pretty VisitorsThe sudden transition into a frantic, spoken-word-style delivery on 'Pretty Visitors' is anchored by a driving, aggressive organ melody.
Reviews

How does Humbug sound next to the rest of Arctic Monkeys's catalogue?

ATMMOOLYRPROVOC
Desert+4.0σ

Desert saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

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