The second single from Arctic Monkeys' August release, ‘Humbug,’ continues a drive towards maturity and melancholy, possessing a darker, almost twisted air both musically and lyrically, with subdued guitars and lazy, shuffling drums. Perhaps this is due to the influence of Queens of the Stone Age front man Josh Homme, who co-produced the record alongside Arctic Monkeys' long term producer Josh Ford of Simian Mobile Disco; or a follow on from side project The Last Shadow Puppets. Either way, it’s a far cry from chanting about how one looks good one the dance floor.

‘Cornerstone’ offers another narrative tale from front man and lyricist Alex Turner, providing a subtle yet thought-provoking fantasist’s story of heart break. Despite the much more moderate pacing and repetitive (although entirely pleasing) melodies, ‘Cornerstone’ is far from background noise. The slow progression of the song maintains the listeners’ attention – it is never clear where it’s going next until it gets there. However, as interesting and innovative as the music on this new single is, it is undeniable that it would be little without Turner’s lyrics, which are so vividly descriptive they provide escapism to the dark new world of the Arctic Monkeys.

Whether or not the new sound of Arctic Monkeys is to your personal taste, it is clear that ‘Cornerstone’ is one of the stand-out tracks from ‘Humbug,’ and illustrates great things from the band in the future. Homme declared that, “This is the record where they get weird, grow up and trip out,” and you’d be pushed to find another song that exemplifies this new direction more absolutely than ‘Cornerstone.’

Out on November 16th

Rhian Williams

Member of the music team @ Pulse