Arctic Monkeys - Teddy Picker (Domino)
4/5
By: Michael Cragg
Following the relatively unhurried 'Fluorescent Adolescent', the Arctic Monkeys return to the frantic pummelling of 'Brianstorm' with this, the third single from their gazillion selling second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare (though it's only sold around half the copies of its predecessor, incidentally).
Unlike 'Brianstorm', it even has some semblance of a chorus, Alex Turner spinning another engaging yarn this time concerning the perils of thrusting ordinary people into the media spotlight, the 'teddy picker' of the title a reference to those end of pier games where you randomly select a toy to become the 'prize'. In anyone else's hands (the Stereophonics perhaps), this would come across as morose and self-indulgent, but Turner injects a large dose of wit to serve alongside some brilliantly worded spite; "Assuming that all things are equal/ Who'd want to be men of the people/ When there's people like you?"
Musically, the song hinges on a bouncy baseline from Nick O'Malley and some expert drumming from Matt Helders, whose work defines Favourite Worst Nightmare as much as Turner's lyrics or James Ford's production. There are some brilliant touches, from the staccato first lines that are almost rapped, to the chiming guitar riffs. The best bit, however, is pure camp. At the ninety second mark Turner croons "I don't want your prayer/ Save it for the morning after", an obvious nod to 'Save A Prayer' by Duran Duran (hell, he even sings it in the same way). It's an odd moment, a kind of 'did I just hear that right?' moment, but it's also a great lead into some spooky guitar playing. Only Alex Turner knows what was meant by it, or maybe he didn't mean anything by it, perhaps it's just him showing some respect to his elders, or maybe the next album will be Duran Duran covers? 'Hungry Like The Wolf' anyone?
Watch the video to 'Teddy Picker' on Rockfeedback HERE.
Artists in this article: Arctic Monkeys
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