ARCTIC MONKEYS - HUMBUG

Wholly recorded in the United States, the band worked with American musician Josh Homme, who produced tracks recorded in Los Angeles and the Mojave Desert alongside New York City recordings produced by James Ford. Musically, the album is a departure from the garage rock and punk-influenced sound of the band's previous work, incorporating elements of stoner rock, desert rock, surf rock, and ambient tones. Homme has been credited by writers for introducing the album's darker sound. Percussion instruments were used on the album, including xylophones, glockenspiels, and shakers. Frontman Alex Turner's vocals on the album are noted as a drastic change from the frenetic and upbeat delivery of Arctic Monkeys' previous albums to a slower and more hushed approach. Turner's songwriting also is a departure from his kitchen-sink realism poetry, instead being replaced by analogy.