Arctic Monkeys – Cornerstone

Rolling Stone called Arctic Monkeys’ 2006 debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not was one of the loudest, most consistently intense albums ever recorded. Since then, the band have grown progressively more controlled both in terms of production and songwriting. Cornerstone sounds like a handful of b-sides from their latest album, Humbug, because they are. Produced by Josh Homme, just like the album, these four tracks continue in the more mellowed out spirit of more recent Arctic Monkeys efforts, not offering much variation on what the album already established.

Cornerstone’s songs are solid but nothing unexpected is present here. It’s a disc for fans eager to have more, and not necessarily the ones who prefer more the frenetic energy from Arctic Monkeys’ start. The EP’s title track earns its position, indicating that the future of this five-piece might lie in more modern ballads with Alex Turner singing about heartbreak topics like replacing loves lost. The shift in their sound isn’t bad, but it does continue to be slower-paced and less immediate, which is worthwhile as long as it isn’t also signaling complacency.

If anything, Cornerstone almost serves as an intermezzo, satisfying but transient – a bridge before whatever the band’s next substantial step may be.

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