Arctic Monkeys release seventh studio album 'The Car'

Check out the artwork and track-listing now

Arctic Monkeys in 2022
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 21st Oct 2022
Last updated 24th Oct 2022

Arctic Monkeys have released their eagerly-awaited seventh studio album ‘The Car’.

Released on Friday 21st October 2022 via Domino Records, ‘The Car’ features 10 tracks including ‘I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am’, which the band debuted in Zurich over the summer.

Who wrote Arctic Monkeys' songs on 'The Car'?

All the songs on ‘The Car’ were penned by Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner. The record was produced by James Ford and recorded at Butley Priory in Suffolk, RAK Studios in London and La Frette in Paris.

'The Car' album artwork

‘The Car’ artwork was created by the band’s drummer Matt Helders:

In August 2021, Butley Priory broke the news in a now-deleted blog post that Arctic Monkeys had been recording their new album at the 14th century venue.

A description of ‘The Car’ reads: “Following 2018’s ‘Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino’, ‘The Car’ finds Arctic Monkeys running wild in a new and sumptuous musical landscape and contains some of the richest and most rewarding vocal performances of Alex Turner’s career.”

Arctic Monkeys’ ‘The Car’ is available on standard LP, CD, cassette and digital formats. A deluxe LP will be available on limited grey vinyl with a tip on sleeve and mounted gloss cover image via the AM Official Store, while an exclusive, custard coloured LP will be available at independent record shops and HMV stores.

Arctic Monkey’s ‘The Car’ track-listing:

1) There’d Better Be A Mirrorball

2) I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am

3) Sculptures Of Anything Goes

4) Jet Skis On The Moat

5) Body Paint

6) The Car

7) Big Ideas

8) Hello You

9) Mr Schwartz

Perfect Sense

Check out our complete guide to albums by Arctic Monkeys:

'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not', 2006

An instant classic upon its release in the opening overs of 2006, Arctic Monkeys' 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' was already familiar to the hundreds of thousands of fans who not only propelled it to the top of the UK album charts, but also made it the fasting-selling debut album in UK chart history.

The Sheffield quartet – singer/guitarist Alex Turner, guitarist Jamie Cook, drummer Matt Helders and bassist Andy Nicholson (later replaced by Nick O'Malley) – had already amassed a legion of fans before any official recordings were released thanks to their canny harnessing of the possibilities and opportunities afforded by the next generation of internet and digital platforms. So it was that their demos were distributed via free CDS at gigs, with fans then sharing the tracks.

'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not', 2006

Musically, 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' takes The Strokes' debut album 'Is This Is It?' as its template while delivering on the broken promises of The Libertines and making a few nods in the direction of Franz Ferdinand's angular grooves. Crucially, the landscape painted by Alex Turner's sharp observations isn't some mythical romanticising of a national ideal, but a witty and incisive portrait of the nightlife of the towns and cities up and down the country – and, more specifically, Sheffield.

Consider the evidence: Number 1 single, 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor', 'You Probably Couldn't See for the Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me' and 'Dancing Shoes' examine the politics and navigation of clubbing. 'From The Ritz To The Rubble' is seen from the bouncer's point of view as elsewhere 'When The Sun Goes Down' – their second single and chart topper - takes its inspiration from the after-hours workings of a red light area.

'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not', 2006

Almost two decades down the line and 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' still holds up. A snapshot of a particular time and place, it reveals how much and how just how little has changed in the intervening years.

Other album tracks include: 'The View from the Afternoon', 'Fake Tales of San Francisco', 'Still Take You Home', 'Riot Van, 'Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured', 'Mardy Bum', 'Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But...' and 'A Certain Romance'.

'Favourite Worst Nightmare', 2007

Given the Hosannas showered upon Arctic Monkeys by the press in the wake of their debut album, 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not', and a sideboard groaning under the weight of awards – Q's Best Album and Album Of The Year from Time and Ireland's Hot Press among many others, as well as that prize-winning cheque from the Barclaycard Mercury Prize – it would've been perhaps forgivable if Arctic Monkeys had buckled under the pressure.

'Favourite Worst Nightmare', 2007

Released just over year after its predecessor, 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' is the sound of band truly developing its own sound and identity. This isn't an album that's been agonised over or thought about too deeply; as evidenced by the singles 'Brianstorm', 'Flourescent Adolescent' and 'Teddy Picker', a year of solid gigging and youthful energy sharpened the band's reserve, playing and, in the case of Alex Turner's songwriting, widen the lyrical concerns that come with seeing a world beyond their hometown.

'Favourite Worst Nightmare', 2007

Arctic Monkeys could have succumbed to hubris, complacency or the burden of success. Instead, album tracks such as 'Do Me A Favour' and closer '505' reveal a depth in maturity and emotional resonance that proved that the quartet were here for the long run.

Other album tracks include: 'D Is for Dangerous', 'Balaclava', 'Only Ones Who Know', 'This House Is a Circus', 'If You Were There, Beware', 'The Bad Thing' and 'Old Yellow Bricks'.


'Humbug', 2009

The news that Arctic Monkeys, a band that at this point was still very much defined by its Sheffield roots, would be working with Queens Of The Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme was met with more than just a few raised eyebrows. Surely this combination of angular, indie rock and one of the key architects of stoner rock was to clash too harshly?

Whatever fears were aired, they were soon allayed with the evidence presented within the grooves of 'Humbug'. Less an encounter in one party trying to dominate the other, this was a meeting of minds, talents and ideas that took Arctic Monkeys out of their domestic comfort zone and into New York, Los Angeles at the Mojave Desert.

'Humbug', 2009

For his part, Homme didn't impose himself on Arctic Monkeys. Instead, the two parties found common ground as they brought out the best in each other. 'Humbug' is recognisably Arctic Monkeys, but the sound here is more muscular thanks to sympathetic production that enhances rather than overwhelms with addition of extra instrumentation.

The bass that ushers in lead single 'Crying Lightning' is a statement of intent that heralds Arctic Monkeys' new found strength, while 'My Propeller' smooths down the rough edges while widening the panorama. It may not have received the plaudits of its predecessors, but hindsight reveals 'Humbug' to be a vital stepping-stone in the recorded trajectory of Arctic Monkeys.

Other album tracks include: 'Dangerous Animals', 'Secret Door', 'Potion Approaching', 'Fire and the Thud', 'Cornerstone', 'Dance Little Liar', 'Pretty Visitors' and 'The Jeweller's Hands'.

'Suck It And See', 2011

The title of Arctic Monkeys' fourth album is something of a misnomer. Perhaps stung by a reception for 'Humbug' that didn't quite match the enthusiasm that greeted their first two albums, 'Suck It And See' found Arctic Monkeys adopting the back-to-basics approach of their debut, 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'.

With the material written in rehearsed well in advance of their return to the studio, many of the album's 12 songs were recorded live in the studio with the minimum of overdubs. And while it's evident that the band has matured, 'Suck It And See' is possessed of that nervous energy that characterised their earlier material. It's there on the title track and the single 'Black Treacle'.

'Suck It And See', 2011

But there are also lessons learned from their time with Josh Homme. Lead single 'Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair' is a gloriously swaggering beast with a lip curl that's part confidence, part insouciance, while 'Brick By Brick' shows just how far they'd travelled since their classic debut.

Other album tracks include: 'She's Thunderstorms', 'The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala', 'Library Pictures', 'All My Own Stunts', 'Reckless Serenade', 'Piledriver Waltz', 'Love Is a Laserquest' and 'That's Where You're Wrong'.

'AM', 2013

If 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' was the sound of teenagers observing tentative nights out in the city, then 'AM' is made up of the nocturnal adventures of men in their late 20s. And they sound utterly brilliant for it.

Indeed, 'AM' is a consolidation of all that has gone before it and delivered with all the confidence of a band hitting its stride at the point when most groups flounder, wither and die. Blending the razor-sharp indie smarts of their youth with the heady and heavy rock that had been introduced under Josh Homme's tutorage, Arctic Monkeys also introduce the hitherto untapped influences of hip-hop and R'n'B.

'AM', 2013

There's a salacious grind at the heart of 'Do I Wanna Know?' and that naughtiness works its way into 'Arabella'. Elsewhere, those late nights are evoked on 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?'.

Josh Homme, no slouch himself when it comes to hedonistic pursuits, said of 'AM': "It's a really cool, sexy after-midnight record." He's not wrong, but he might also have added that Arctic Monkeys had also just delivered another classic to their cannon.

Other album tracks include: 'R U Mine?', 'One for the Road', 'I Want It All', 'No.1 Party Anthem', 'Mad Sounds', 'Fireside', 'Snap Out of It', 'Knee Socks' and 'I Wanna Be Yours'.

'Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino', 2018

The five-year gap between the release of albums may have suggested a band resting on its laurels or simply running out of ideas, but the reality was far different. 'Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino' finds Arctic Monkeys doing what so many bands refuse to countenance – taking a chance. Indeed, the band's sixth studio album is such a radical departure from the hook-laden rock music that made their name that fans are still divided over the record's merits.

Yet for all that, it still became their sixth consecutive No. 1 album in the UK whilst becoming the country's fastest-selling album in a quarter of a century, in part thanks to the legions of fans who pre-ordered the record. And then there were the nominations for the 2018 Mercury Prize and the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.

'Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino', 2018

And with good reason. The album may lack the immediacy of its predecessors, but the charms of the title track and 'Four Out Of Five' reveal the songs to be sophisticated pop pearls that continue to sparkle and beguile. Indeed, repeat listens peel away layer after layer until you're left with a gem that'll last a lifetime.

Other album tracks include: 'Star Treatment', 'One Point Perspective', 'American Sports', 'Golden Trunks', 'The World's First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip', 'Science Fiction', 'She Looks Like Fun', 'Batphone' and 'The Ultracheese'.

'The Car', 2022

Before Arctic Monkeys' seventh album 'The Car' was released in October 2022, we had an inkling of what to expect as drummer Matt Helders revealed it would "never" sound like 'R U Mine?'

Duly, 'The Car' is Arctic Monkeys' second consecutive lo-fi indie musical tour-de-force that features music Alex Turner wants to make rather than rehashing old ideas or appeasing the casual fans.

'The Car', 2022

Widely lauded by critics, it's a masterly crafted album packed with pertinent and oft hard-hitting lyrics and innovative, beguiling and cinematic sounds. Gems are aplenty from the hypnotic 'There'd Better Be a Mirrorball' to the truly exquisite 'Body Paint.'

Full track listing is: 'There'd Better Be A Mirrorball', 'I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am', 'Sculptures Of Anything Goes', 'Jet Skis On The Moat', 'Body Paint', 'The Car', 'Big Ideas', 'Hello You', 'Mr Schwartz', 'Perfect Sense'.

Read more:

Watch Arctic Monkeys' 'I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am' video

Arctic Monkeys: Everything there is to know about the music legends

10 of Arctic Monkeys' biggest songs

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