Arctic Monkeys
“Opening Night”
War Child Records
The Arctic Monkeys are at their best when they embrace the slow burn of a track. As they’ve gotten older, they’ve become more patient and mature.
That strategy pays major dividends on “Opening Night,” their first single in six years. The track was released for a benefit compilation that’s due later this year by UK-based non-profit War Child Records. (The cause is right there in the title, raising money for kids affected by war around the globe.)
“Opening Night” opens with the faint bleep-boop of a drum machine before frontman Alex Turner lays down his deep, crooning voice. The band slowly joins the crusade, building out the usual vaguely sexual vibe of most Arctic Monkeys tracks. This is true velvet lounge music; feel free to touch the walls and imagine what the texture of this song would be if it was a textile.
The songs on a benefit compilation are usually throwaway b-sides or live recordings that the band wasn’t planning on doing anything with anyways. This Arctic Monkeys track is likely the sign of a major release from the band coming later this year. (That’s my belief, anyway.) To release it as part of a benefit comp is a real sweet act from them, undoubtedly being the biggest draw on an album that includes releases from Big Thief, Arooj Aftab, Depeche Mode and more.
As with hearing a song on a TV show or movie soundtrack, the benefit comp can be a beautiful way to discover new music you haven’t heard before, or get acquainted with a track from back in the day that’s been remastered or remixed.
Arctic Monkeys gives this upcoming War Child Records release a whole different sense of authority. And “Opening Night” is far from a throwaway track. Adding it to my playlist now …
