After breaking first-week album sales with their début in 2006, Arctic Monkeys pumped out another dose earlier this year with My Favourite Worst Nightmare. Rather surprisingly, the widely trumpeted ‘revolution’ that their particular blend of ‘man on the street’ and garage guitars was meant to represent has yet to consume its children – people are still listening. Third single from the new album, ‘Teddy Picker’, is everything you would expect, of course – simple, instantly recognisable and catchy despite all your best intentions to dish the Monkeys some James Blunt treatment.

‘Sorry sunshine, it doesn’t exist – it wasn’t in the top 100 list’ is just one moment in this song where total recognition is achieved between singer and listener, both slowly drowning in appalling magnolia TV programming. Alex Turner certainly knows how to Mike Skinner all over us, and so far it’s not getting old. Then again, Turner’s warning, ‘Don’t be surprised when you get bent over; they told yer you were gagging for it’, might easily be applied to the band themselves… But perhaps there’s only so much British loathing of success that one should apply. For the time being, Arctic Monkeys are still on top of the game.
(4/5)