Should we be excited for the Arctic Monkey’s homecoming?

Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner collects the award for Best British Band during the 2014 NME Awards, at Brixton Academy, London.

All the news about indie music in 2018 is regarding the release of the Arctic Monkeys’ new album.

As a huge indie fan, I have waited for a sign of productivity from the Sheffield based band — it seems a long time since the announcement of ‘AM’ in 2014.

But it seems lead singer Alex Turner has been well and truly Americanised, leaving us wondering if he even cares about his home country anymore.

Liam Gallagher recently hit out at Turner’s American accent. The former Oasis frontman demonstrated his distaste of such ‘Americanising’ when he told Greg James on Radio 1: “They start speaking American. You know what I mean? Like the geezer from the Arctic Monkeys. He did it didn’t he? He started getting his hair in a quiff and biker leather jackets on.”

At first I was dubious of Liam’s allegations, but after the bands 2018 festival dates I’d be inclined to agree.

Barring TRNSMT in July, Alex Turner and co are only playing festivals across Europe. Surely a band in touch with their fans would realise after a four-year absence from the music scene, their fans would be hungry to see them live again.

It seems to me that he is using their big return for a nice European holiday — or maybe that’s just the cynic in me speaking.

Now, the best we can hope for is a UK tour along with the supposed album to come in 2018.

Are we even excited to see what the Arctic Monkey’s have to offer this year? Personally, I am apprehensive. What if the American culture has changed the band beyond recognition? Because it is a real possibility. I can’t imagine, while he was still living with his mum in Sheffield, he would have delivered his bizarre monologue preceding a dramatic mic drop at the BRITS in 2014.

I guess we will have to wait and see if my suspicions are proven. Don’t get me wrong, I am hopeful that they return as good as ever. I certainly wouldn’t bet my bottom dollar on it.

Words by Jake Millett