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New Arctic Monkeys Album Starts With A Song About The Strokes

New Arctic Monkeys Album Starts With A Song About The Strokes

With less than a month until the release of the new Arctic Monkeys album, it's been revealed that the first song is about New York rockers

Mischa Pearlmen

Mischa Pearlmen

On paper, they were worlds apart. The Strokes hailed from New York City, the world's rock'n'roll mecca and incorporated the history of that city into their music, whereas Arctic Monkeys burst out of Sheffield embracing their Northern roots, defined by singer Alex Turner's thick Yorkshire accent.

But things have changed over the years and the bands have become more and similar. Turner moved to Los Angeles and developed a weird Elvis-esque accent and the two bands' music has grown closer as the years have gone on.

Now, as details emerge of the Arctic Monkeys' forthcoming sixth album, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, it seems the two bands are getting even closer. According to Pitchfork, the first line of the first song on the record is actually about The Strokes.

"I just wanted to be one of The Strokes, now look at the mess you made me make / Hitchhiking with a monogrammed suitcase, miles away from any half-useful imaginary highway," sings Alex on 'Star Treatment'.

In a recent interview with MOJO magazine, Turner was asked about the reference and the song.

"That's me writing about writing," he said. "Did the Strokes line feel too close to home? Yeah, absolutely. But you can't let that stop you."

PA

Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino will be the band's sixth album, and their first since 2013's AM. It's scheduled for release on 11 May.

It's not the first time that Alex has admitted his love for the New York band, however.

He penned a piece for NME in 2011 about how much he loves that band's debut album Is This It, and the Arctic Monkeys have also covered the Strokes song 'Take It Or Leave It', which appears on that record.

PA

The Pitchfork article also reveals that the architectural model on the cover of Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino was actually built by Alex himself and that Tame Impala's Cam Avery makes an appearance on the record.

Perhaps they'll go all out and record their own version of This Is It in full. That would be kind of cool, actually.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: arctic monkeys, Music, UK Entertainment, US Entertainment

Mischa is a freelance journalist usually based in either New York or London. He has written for Kerrang!, Record Collector, NME, the New York Observer and FLOOD magazine, among others. Contact him at [email protected]