206. AM by Arctic Monkeys

With all the buzz the last few days of a new Arctic Monkeys record due out in a couple of months, I thought it would be a good idea to cover their best selling album which probably also happens to be their most accessible to the casual fan. Hardcore followers of the band will undoubtedly think it sacrilege to discuss AM over more "worthy" releases. However, starting out with AM is a good way to ease into the music after which the listener can explore the back catalog more fully if interested.

This 2013 record has a good mix of indie rock / alt rock songs the majority of which were written by lead singer Alex Turner. With hip-hop serving as a big influence when Turner was younger, many of the tracks here carry a heavy beat which is amplified when listening with a good set of headphones. Also, Turner is known for his lyricism and his ability to jam pack his verses with as many words as possible. Give these a listen:  'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High,' 'Mad Sounds' (I can definitely hear a bit of Lou Reed/Velvet Underground in this one),  'R U Mine,' 'Do I Wanna Know' and end with some cool crooning by Turner in 'No. 1 Party Anthem.'