The Arctic Monkeys were quiet following the conclusion of their tour in support of AM, released in 2013. But the British band has returned big in 2018, with sets at Coachella and Governor’s Ball and now their sixth LP, out today, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.
The album, described as a a sci-fi concept album about a facility on the moon, did not have any songs released before the full album today, though the band did play some of the new songs at shows in the past few weeks. The album has been described as somewhat of a departure from the sound the band has come to be known for over their first five albums.
At Uproxx, Steven Hyden called the album “a left turn that feels like a positive shift away from the ‘youth’ part of the band’s career, and towards something a little more grown-up and a lot stranger”; Q Magazine called it strange and wonderful; while NME called it “a product of searingly intelligent design.”
The band’s tour following the release extends through October, but skips over Philadelphia. The closest shows, in New York and DC are both sold out.
Other albums out today that we’re listening to:
Beach House – 7
Brent Cobb – Providence Canyon
Mason Jennings – Songs From When We Met
John Mellencamp – Plain Spoken: From the Chicago Theatre