Arctic Monkeys take you on a relaxed ride to the moon on Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino courtesy of a new sound and Alex Turner's witty, poetic lyricism. This is the bands boldest album to date and will divide fans of their earlier work but it definitely grows on you with repeat listens. Those familiar with Turner's side-project The Last Shadow Puppets will find Tranquility Base the most inviting. This album's more jazz and lounge infused than Arctic Monkeys previous work and it definitely works best when listened to as a whole. It's a beautiful, melancholic and sexy journey into deep space that stays with you ‘…the way some science fiction does’. An instant classic (if not a cult one).

Know what you're going in to before listening to Arctic Monkeys latest album. After a long hiatus, zero pre-release singles and a few teases of unique imagery and sounds, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino was always set up to be a very odd record far outside of the mainstream. It won't take long to figure out via interviews (or obviously by listening to it) that this is a piano heavy, lyric heavy atmospheric experience not like any of the bands previous work. There are elements of previous albums influences (a few obscure tracks off Humbug/Suck It And See spring to mind) but otherwise this is a holey new experience (some people say they can detect The last Shadow Puppets vibes, but I just don't hear it). It's difficult to explain briefly so just know that you're in for a different treat when you pop this album on. Still worthy of 5 stars.