From “Do I Wanna Know?”: “Ever thought of calling when you’ve had a few / Cause I always do.” Then on the band’s latest, “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” — a tiptoeing, after-hours, R&B-pop ditty — Turner tries repeatedly to arrange a booty call, but only receives the titular question in response (see the hallucination-dotted video below, directed by Nabil Elderkin, for a cheeky rendering). He’s forced to lament, “I haven’t found what I was hoping to find.” Though the distance between Arctic Monkeys’ scrappy roots and their current megastar selves (complete with plush suits, morphing accents, and fewer hooks) is sizable, Turner the lyricist remains a clever and relatable wise guy. It’s his and the band’s most appealing strength.
Arctic Monkeys’ next LP, AM, will be released on 9/9.