13.
Arctic Monkeys
Favourite Worst Nightmare

I genuinely think all of the hype surrounding the Arctic Monkeys (well, most of the hype) is justified. When a record is this good, you just have to hold your hands up. Favourite Worst Nightmare isn’t quite as instant as its predecessor, and the lyrics are not of the same quality, but the songs are generally as strong. ‘Brainstorm’ is a cracking statement of intent, and the second track ‘Teddy Picker’ backs it up with a rolling swagger of a band that knows how good it is. In contrast, ‘Only Ones Who Know’ is a glimpse of a possible future direction, with a more ambient sound. Certainly, it’s clear that Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not was not a fluke. The only real criticism is that Favourite Worst Nightmare is a little too similar to their debut. Still, what else could they possibly do at this stage? There is a need to rethink for album three, but for now this is just fine. Marketing pressure meant that this rushed out in less than a year, which makes the fact that is actually really rather great all the more notable. Not quite as good as Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, but not far short at all.