LEAVE BEFORE THE LIGHTS COME ON-Arctic Monkeys

Leave Before The Lights Come On-
Arctic Monkeys
Status-Out as of 2006
Label-Domino
Rating-3 Feathers

Instead of coming out with another single from the debut, Arctic Monkeys have released a completely new song with two covers and decided to call that a single. ‘Leave Before The Lights Come On’ tells the story of two people who ended up together and don’t know why or how. As usual, Alex Turner has such a captivating way with words. Matt’s drumming is brilliant and the way Alex sings the song adds to the emotional part of a seemingly hopeful sound. It sounds like it could have easily been on ‘Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not’. ‘Put Your Dukes Up John’ is a cover of the song by The Little Flames. Compared to The Little Flames version, it’s much more upbeat sounding and the part where the rest of the band chant ‘Change your tune and change your hair or you’re not going anywhere’ sounds angrier and bit more forceful. Though it sounds similar to original, they still made it their own and gave it an Arctic’s flair. ‘Baby I’m Yours’ is also a cover, but of the song by Barbara Lewis. Featuring the singer of The 747’s Oisin Leech on lead vocals along with Alex, this song has a very soft and fuzzy feel to it. It sounds a lot more clean and slightly over processed compared to the original. The fact that it’s a bunch of young men singing a song sung by a woman shows they’ve got guts. When you first hear it, you think you might have the wrong disc in or something due to the fact that it definitely not what you’d expect. Now, only if you’re a die hard Arctic Monkeys fan would I suggest you buy this album. Being that the title track is the only ‘original’ song, only people with refined tastes would truly appreciate this. To rate it honestly, I'll give it a 3 for that fact that the covers are nothing special and the original stuff isn't anything innovative or new; it's just three sound songs.

“'Leave Before the Lights Come On' feels very much like it could be on the album. So we're going to put that out as a single. I remember it's the last song that I wrote about that sort of time, going out and that. My life's not really like that any more."-Alex Turner

Video for Leave Before The Lights Come On

Arctic Monkeys Official Website
Note: Sorry for my not recent posting and sorry for all the Arctic Monkeys reviews in this blog, I really like them. Someone suggested that I review this so I gave in and did. This'll be one of the few singles reviews I do for the fact that album and EP reviews are much more fun to write. I hope you enjoy, and BTW, isn't the video creepy?