| Humbug | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 August 2009 (2009-8-19) | |||
| Recorded | November 2008 – April 2009 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:15 | |||
| Label | Domino | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Arctic Monkeys chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Humbug | ||||
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Humbug is the third studio album by Englishrock bandArctic Monkeys, first released on 19 August 2009 throughDomino Recording Company. The band started to write new material for the album towards the end of summer 2008 and finished it entirely in spring 2009. Like their previous release,Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007),Humbug was released first in Japan, followed by Australia, Brazil, Ireland, and Germany, on 21 August 2009. It was then released in the UK on 24 August 2009, in the US the following day, and in Greece on 31 August.
Wholly recorded in the United States, the band worked with American musicianJosh Homme, who produced tracks recorded in Los Angeles and theMojave Desert alongside New York City recordings produced byJames Ford. Musically, the album is a departure from thegarage rock andpunk-influenced sound of the band's previous work, incorporating elements ofstoner rock,desert rock,surf rock, andambient tones. Homme has been credited by writers for introducing the album's darker sound. Percussion instruments were used on the album, includingxylophones,glockenspiels, andshakers. FrontmanAlex 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 hiskitchen-sink realism poetry, instead being replaced by analogy.
The album's release preceded the band's headlining performances at theReading and Leeds Festivals at the end of that week. It topped theUK Albums Chart and has been certifiedplatinum in the UK. ThoughHumbug did not receive the extent of acclaim that bothWhatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) andFavourite Worst Nightmare did by critics, it nevertheless received generally positive reviews, with critics noting that the band expanded their sound and themes, while the album's tone was recognised as darker than the band's previous records.[1] Retrospectively,Humbug is considered one of the band's most important records, with many noting it as containing various musical styles and lyrical themes the band would further explore on later releases.
The band started writing songs for the album towards the end of summer 2008, with lead singerAlex Turner suggesting that the inspiration for the first fewguitar riffs came while the band were attending theLatitude Festival in Suffolk.[2] Tracks were written through the end of 2008, with recording taking place around the band's touring schedule towards late 2008 and early 2009.[3] Alex Turner wrote all the album.[4] Co-produced byJosh Homme,[5] the album was wholly recorded in the United States. Homme-produced tracks recorded in Los Angeles and theMojave Desert alongside New York City recordings produced – as per the second album – byJames Ford,[3] who also produced the albumThe Age of the Understatement by Turner's side-projectThe Last Shadow Puppets.
While recording the album, the band incorporated a wide variety of instruments that they had not used previously. Baritone and slide guitars can be heard throughout the album, as well as new guitar effects. The guitar playing on the album has adesert/surf tone.[1] The presence of a variety of keyboards on almost every track was something new for the band, with lead singer Alex Turner recording all of them himself with the exception of the album's singles, which were handled by session and touring keyboardist John Ashton.[6] The presence of new percussion instruments was also evident, as the band used xylophones, glockenspiels and shakers. While being interviewed for the BBC'sThe Culture Show, Turner andMatt Helders citedJimi Hendrix,Cream,Jake Thackray,John Cale,Nick Cave,Roky Erickson andthe Beatles as influences on the recording of the album.
The album's tone is more relaxed than the band's "aggressive" previous records.[1] Robin Murray ofClash notes that a "spooky carnivalesque atmosphere permeates the album; there’s the recurring waltzer organ, the circus-like marching drums, and of course the bellowing ringmaster, luring us all into the dark and devilish delights of what’s in store.[7] Homme has been credited by writers for introducing the album's darker sound.[8] Murray further notes Turner's voice as transitioning from "breakneck reality bites" into a dark, deep and hushed singing voice.[7] According to Mike Driver in hisBBC Music review, "Humbug embraces the true nature ofalbum-craft by sequencing ten tracks in such a way that coherence and consistency bind constituent pieces into a single, enjoyably sombre whole."[9] Driver also notes that "Kitchen-sink realism poetry’s replaced by rampant analogies, characters of the everyday transformed into otherworldly denizens with wicked intentions. Turner still spills syllables rather too swiftly at times [...] but largely a slow-and-steady approach prevails, mirrored by the music’s assured shuffle."[9] Murray highlights that the two most distinct features that dominateHumbug are "the smoky trembling guitar" and Turner's matured croon.[7]
Musically,Humbug has been described aspsychedelic rock,[10]hard rock,[11]stoner rock,[12] anddesert rock.[13]
Early soundbites of tracks from the album appeared in the band's periodicalvideo diary on YouTube.[14] The first single of the album was "Crying Lightning". It was released on 6 July, when it was played on BBC Radio 1 and was available for download fromiTunes after midnight that day.[15] On 4 October 2009 the band's official website announced the second single from the album would be "Cornerstone".[16]
On 1 February 2010, the third single from the album was announced to be "My Propeller", which was released on 22 March.[17][18] Similar to other singles from the album, was released on 7" and as an exclusive 10" vinyl available only in Oxfam shops. The B-sides on the 10" vinyl were "Joining the Dots", "The Afternoon's Hat" and "Don't Forget Whose Legs You're On", with just "Joining the Dots" available as a B-side on the 7" version.
Like their previous release,Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007),Humbug was released first in Japan on 19 August 2009, followed by Australia, Brazil, Ireland and Germany, on 21 August 2009. It was then released in the UK on 24 August 2009, in the US the following day and in Greece on 31 August.[19] "I Haven't Got My Strange" was included as aniTunes bonus track,[20] while a cover of "Red Right Hand" byNick Cave and the Bad Seeds was included as a bonus track on the Japanese release.[21] Upon release, the album sold over 96,000 copies in its first week in the UK, topping theUK Albums Chart.[22] By September 2013, the album had sold 320,921 copies in the UK.
Arctic Monkeys embarked on the first leg of the worldwideHumbug Tour in January 2009 and went on to headline 2009'sReading and Leeds Festivals.[15][23][24] During this performance, they played a number of songs fromHumbug, plus older tracks and a cover ofNick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "Red Right Hand".[24] They were also the headline act on the first night of 2009'sExit festival in Serbia.[25] In North America, where they had less of a following, they played abridged sets at Montreal'sOsheaga Festival, as well as New Jersey'sAll Points West Music and Arts Festival.[26] The tour finished in early 2010 in Mexico.[27]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10[28] |
| Metacritic | 75/100[29] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [30] |
| The A.V. Club | C+[31] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [32] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[33] |
| The Guardian | [34] |
| MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | B[35] |
| NME | 7/10[13] |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10[36] |
| Rolling Stone | [37] |
| Spin | 6/10[38] |
Humbug received generally positive reviews from critics, albeit less positive than its two predecessors. It received a rating of 75 out of 100 onMetacritic based on 26 critic reviews.[29] While overall response was positive, the album was criticised by some for not containing the same hooks that the band had become known for, withSpin's Sean Fennessey calling the album "accomplished, but not particularly infectious."[38]
Jason Lipshutz ofBillboard stated that the band "justif[ies] the hype by shifting its best qualities into different, equally dazzling shapes."[39] John Mulvey ofUncut felt that "Homme's role as producer, perhaps, has been to nurture the soundscaping that was attempted onHumbug's predecessor, and, critically, to encourage a sense of space and stealth."[40] In his positive review of the album, Joe Tangari ofPitchfork noted that "Humbug isn't better than either of its predecessors, but it expands the group's range and makes me curious where it might go next. It also demonstrates a great deal of staying power for a band that could have imploded before it ever got this far."[36]Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic gaveHumbug a positive review. Although he found it overall wasn't as accessible as its two predecessors, he noted that the band were beginning to push their limits in regards to creativity, and composing music carefree of whether or not they were successful in America. He further noted that opinion towards the album might change retrospectively: "the record may mean more in the long-term that it does on its own."[30]
In retrospect,Humbug has been considered a very important piece in Arctic Monkeys' catalogue, having introduced a variety of new styles and themes, both lyrically and musically, to the band, that they have expanded on since its release. It marked the first time they recorded material underQueens of the Stone Age frontman, Josh Homme's, influence. In anNME article, Mike Williams writes, "If Arctic Monkeys had never walked into the desert with Josh Homme to record 'Humbug' in 2009, they could never have made 'AM'. 'Humbug' was as much about subverting people's impressions of who the band were as it was an album in its own right."[41] In 2011, Turner saidHumbug "is as important, if not more so [compared to the first two records], on our journey of getting to where we are right now."[42] Nevertheless,Humbug remains the band's most polarising album. BothNME andConsequence of Sound rankedHumbug the band's weakest release thus far in 2015 and 2018, respectively. While both acknowledged the album's position in the band's discography,NME nevertheless stated: "in retrospect, it feels more like an important bridge between the youthful vim of old and the meatier material that would come than a destination."[43] Meanwhile,Consequence of Sound wrote thatHumbug paved the way for songwriting evolution seen in the band's follow-up effortsSuck It and See (2011) andAM.[44] Conversely, both theEvening Standard andThe Independent, in 2018 and 2019, respectively, argue thatHumbug is Arctic Monkeys' greatest album,[45] with the former stating that the record was the band's "most accomplished collection of tracks yet, which captured the sound of a band at the peak of their creative powers."[46]
All lyrics are written byAlex Turner, all music is written byArctic Monkeys[47]
| No. | Title | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Propeller" | James Ford | 3:27 |
| 2. | "Crying Lightning" | Josh Homme | 3:43 |
| 3. | "Dangerous Animals" | Homme | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Secret Door" | Ford | 3:43 |
| 5. | "Potion Approaching" | Homme | 3:32 |
| 6. | "Fire and the Thud" | Homme | 3:57 |
| 7. | "Cornerstone" | Ford | 3:17 |
| 8. | "Dance Little Liar" | Homme | 4:43 |
| 9. | "Pretty Visitors" | Homme | 3:40 |
| 10. | "The Jeweller's Hands" | Homme | 5:43 |
| Total length: | 39:15 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Red Right Hand" (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover) | 4:19 |
Arctic Monkeys
Additional musicians
Technical
Artwork
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[48] | 2 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[49] | 7 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[50] | 1 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[51] | 4 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[52] | 6 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[53] | 4 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[54] | 2 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[55] | 11 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[56] | 2 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[57] | 4 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI)[58] | 17 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[59] | 1 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[60] | 17 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[61] | 3 |
| Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)[48] | 23 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[62] | 3 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[63] | 7 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV)[64] | 49 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)[65] | 7 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[66] | 1 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[67] | 5 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[68] | 12 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[69] | 7 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[70] | 1 |
| USBillboard 200[71] | 15 |
| USIndependent Albums (Billboard)[72] | 1 |
| USTop Alternative Albums (Billboard)[73] | 4 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[74] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[75] | Platinum | 300,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Country | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | 19 August 2009 | Domino |
| Australia | 21 August 2009 | |
| Austria | ||
| Brazil | ||
| Ireland | ||
| Germany | ||
| Switzerland | ||
| United Kingdom | 24 August 2009 | |
| Canada | 25 August 2009 | |
| United States | ||
| Finland | 26 August 2009 | |
| Sweden | ||
| Italy | 28 August 2009 | |
| Greece | 31 August 2009 | |
| Turkey |
Superficially, Do I Wanna Know? harks back to the spectral psych-rock the Monkeys essayed so successfully on Humbug
On 2009's Josh Homme-produced Humbug, Arctic Monkeys swapped the post-punk frenzies of their first records for '70s hard-rock clamor and psychedelic digressions
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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| Singles |
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| Related articles | |
