One of the first things that frontman Alex Turner said about the Arctic Monkeys upon the release of their debut single, ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ was “Don’t believe the hype.” Many years later, and I’m thinking that he may have been right.
As much as I love the Arctics, ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ offers nothing new. Sounding like a more seductive and hormonal ‘R U Mine?’, their latest single is something you can play ‘on repeat until [you]fall asleep’.
Combining a sultry bass riff with Turner’s now-trademark storytelling, ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ is unmistakably an Arctic Monkeys track. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Having a tried-and-tested formula for a hit can’t be a bad thing. And the addictive bass riff and simple harmonies are worth a listen, and definitely work in the Arctics’ favour.
However, when the video is the most innovative thing about the song, I can’t help but think, ‘Do I Wanna Know’ what their next album will have to offer?
7/10
