Suck It and See
| Arctic Monkeys
Suck It and See
Suck It and See is the fourth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 6 June 2011 by Domino Recording Company. It was produced by the band's longtime collaborator James Ford and was recorded at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, with Ford and drummer Matt Helders promising to deliver a more "instant", "poppy", and "vintage" sound in comparison to the band's darker, polarising previous album Humbug (2009). -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
With Alex Turner's bleak sense of humor and agile lyrics-- and music that nods to Sabbath or the Stooges-- the Sheffield band continues to surprise.
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The Guardian
Arctic Monkeys have abandoned lurching darkness for wistful guitar pop. It suits them.
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Consequence of Sound
The boys from Sheffield are well on their way to one of the most solid post-Britpop careers of the last decade.
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Rolling Stone
This is the band’s best since its 2006 debut.
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BBC
Evidence that Arctic Monkeys are still Britain’s best guitar band.
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Sputnik Music
Suck It and See stands tall as a fine achievement for the Arctic Monkeys.
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Uncut
The wit is running dry – but these Sheffield rockers are discovering bigger, bolder dimensions.
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Gold Flake Paint
Suck It And See marks Arctic Monkeys’ return to form. It’s not perfect but it’s poppier and more immediate than their previous album.
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Drowned in Sound
By the impeccably high standards they've set so far it ranks as a good rather than great album, and only deepens the mystery as to where the Arctic Monkeys may venture next, both as a group and in their various solo guises.
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Pretty Much Amazing
There is a lot to love about this album.
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L.A. Times
Flashes of brilliance prove tantalizing.
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Independent
Just when the world is no longer particularly bothered about a new Arctic Monkeys record, they've finally released one worth being bothered about.
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Sputnik Music
Arctic Monkeys are still a gang of close friends still very much in touch with their roots.
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34st
Suck It and See may not be as well–received as its peers, but the lyrics are consistently top–notch and the album savors its Western charm.
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MPR News
If the idea of a soda made from dandelion and burdock makes you wince or if Arctic Monkeys have never worked for ya, try this, you might like it. Suck it and see indeed!
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Crikey
Turner has rediscovered his lyrical nous, riffing on homegrown phrases again.
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Standard
Turner was at the top of his game, veering from wonderfully nonsensical (Library Pictures) to profound (Piledriver Waltz) and throughout showcasing his poetic delivery with coquettish charm.
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Radio X
Still doesn’t quite make the same impact as their other completed works. Plus, we’re giving them a D for effort when it comes to that album artwork…
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Soundblab
A solid effort, but the sky is quite literally the limit for Turner's imagination, it seems.
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The Owl Mag
After you take a first listen, you will be happy to be there.
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Music OMH
This is another intriguing evolution for one of the country’s great bands, and a shot in the arm for Britain’s rather moribund ‘indie guitar’ scene.
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The Quietus
One of our most interesting and frequently brilliant pop bands.
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All Music
Suck It and See may be at the opposite end of the spectrum from Humbug -- it’s concentrated and purposeful where its predecessor sprawled -- yet it still demands attention from the listener.
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Express
It may have been recorded in California but don’t worry, this is still very much an Arctic Monkeys album.
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Digital Spy
Arctic Monkeys ignore every one else and go their own way on fourth album Suck It and See . . . Good for them.
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Rabbit's Black
Homme’s influence still drips from all corners of the album.
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Purple Sneakers
After a few listens, Suck it and See isn’t a terrible album. But it’s a missed opportunity.
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Planet Ill
Suck It and See is a wonderfully cool record with different types of music arrangements and vocal styles.
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The Scotsman
Some rare bands arrive fully formed, deliver an era-defining classic and then settle into life as an above-par rock band, and so it goes here.
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Prefix Mag
If that score at the top of this review seems unfriendly, it’s not because they’ve grown boring or predictable; it’s just another step in an ongoing process.
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Mother Jones
Rebounding from Humbug, their overly heavy third outing, the British quartet corrects course with a brighter sound that emphasizes Alex Turner’s gritty-yet-tender voice.
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Faronheit
For sure this is a slow burn album, revealing more and more layers as you listen to it over and over again.
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Shield's Gazette
Those who loved their first two albums may be disappointed, but this is an album by a band who are still maturing, and you get the feeling their best is still to come.
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The Line of Best Fit
Arctic Monkeys are expanding, reaching for a more mature type of sound to the much-hyped youthful exuberance of their breakthrough records, but not yet quite grasping it. It’s certainly no criticism to say that it will be interesting to see what they come up with next.
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Pure Grain Audio
The record as a whole is poppier, using great surf rock guitar right from the get-go.
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Yuppee
Suck it and See definitely highlights the band’s progression from under the walkway to being one of the best British bands.
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Clash Music
‘Suck It And See’ is not a disappointment, because we’ve learned never to expect the Monkeys’ next move, but it’s not half as fun as we’d like it to be.
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vibeRANT
Suck It And See is a project that simply shouldn’t be ignored.
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All Noise
It’s a two song burst that Arctic Monkeys fans wouldn’t have thought possible a couple of years ago and marks the evolution of the worlds most exciting band into simply one of the worlds best.
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Beats Per Minute
Suck It And See is an almost seamless step forward, reaffirming the notion that the band’s shelf life is probably much longer than initially estimated.
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QRO Mag
Suck is an unremarkable sixties-rock retread.
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Thomas MJ99
Arctic Monkeys may just have made the best album of their short but fascinating career.
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