We haven’t seen much from the Sheffield lads lately, so I’m sure plenty of others are just as interested in where they are taking their music. Coming to us via the War Child Records Help (2) charity album, Opening Night offers more of the late era Monkeys sound we’ve had from the last two albums, with a hint of heaviness from AM and earlier records (as Turner sings – “tonight is heavy on one side”).
I always thought the latest Monkeys iterations lean towards a sound that perhaps should have been Alex Turner’s solo work, but the band must have been happy to go along for the ride. This is just speculation but the sound definitely took a turn away from the catchy riff-based rock to more lyrical and less verse-chorus-verse.
Having said that we have hints of guitar licks with some excellent flourishes, making it a pretty dynamic track with plenty of interesting bits. This is a solid track that offers the usual Monkeys quality, without going into new territory. I wonder where they are heading next.