Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner tiptoed into a solo career this year — in addition to unveiling a new song/video from the band that made him famous — by somewhat modestly contributing 5 understated compositions under his given name to longtime collaborator Richard Ayoade’s directorial debut, Submarine. As it turns out, though, Turner’s solo work is beyond promising, as after one listen through his EP that hit YouTube tonight, I’m reminded of why his songwriting and voice was so enthralling on the first two AM records.
Make no mistake, these tunes don’t sound much like the Monkeys; they’re mostly subdued, mellow folk tunes in which his voices settles precariously between whisper and speaking volume. That said, “Piledriver Waltz” and “Glass in the Park” do recall “Only Ones Who Know” a bit, the former being a drum-backed catchy pop standout that — while not representative of the set as a whole — you should check out here or below:
“Piledriver Waltz”