The quintessential guide to Alex Turner’s albums
It can always be awkward getting into a new artist when their discography is long-winded and versatile, but we at Far Out are here to help. Normally, when we write a list like this, it’s for an artist like Black Sabbath or David Bowie, as in someone who has been around for decades and released a massive range of records. Alex Turner was merely a glint in the music world’s eye when the aforementioned released their debuts, but in what is relatively speaking a short space of time, he has collated a discography filled with twists and turns.
His band skyrocketed to fame with their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. Musically, it was straight-up indie rock, filled to the brim with great guitar lines, upbeat drumming and plenty of distortion. The lyrics were an honest portrayal of life up North as nights out, chip shops and pulling were all covered in a wonderfully poetic way.
Like a lot of indie bands from that period, it could well have been the case that Arctic Monkeys continued making this style of music, and while their second album is somewhat comparable, everything after that is varied, unpredictable and (for the most part) pretty damn excellent. Alex Turner isn’t limited to the Arctic Monkeys either; he has made music as a solo artist and with Miles Kane in The Last Shadow Puppets.
Due to such an eclectic discography, the right Alex Turner album for you will change depending on the kind of thing that you’re wanting to listen to. So, here is your definitive list of his albums and the ones you should definitely be listening to.
Your guide to Alex Turner’s albums:
Alex Turner’s best lyrics: ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’
Release Date: January 23rd 2006 | Producer: Jim Abbiss | Label: Domino
As someone who was growing up in the north of England when this album was released, I cannot emphasise enough how much Alex Turner nails his description of the people, the nightlife and the culture here. To create music which is such an honest reflection of a specific place and yet is also incredibly poetic and beautiful is truly a masterstroke.
Turner’s lyrical style has changed over the years, but nothing he has ever done has come close to tapping back into what he did on Arctic Monkeys’ debut. How do you make a bouncer looking at you the wrong way sound like a sonnet? How do you take the art of pulling on a night out and make it an actual piece of art? This album is unrivalled in its poetic majesty.
Defining track: ‘When The Sun Goes Down’
Alex Turner’s best music: ‘Humbug’
Release Date: August 19th 2009 | Producer: Josh Homme, James Ford | Label: Domino
Alex Turner never spoke too highly about Arctic Monkeys’ second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare. “It’s fine, just not that considered,” he said, “Though I’m really glad we did it – otherwise I might still be sitting around trying to write ‘Hallelujah’. After that, we all thought we needed to move on… if only to prove that it weren’t all about those 12 songs about the chip shop.”
Say what you want about Favourite Worst Nightmare, I think it’s pretty good, but you can also understand where Alex Turner is coming from here. It didn’t quite have the same rawness that the debut had, and yet it was entirely necessary for the band to make it so they could rid themselves of the shackles of that debut. The result was that a so-and-so second record paved the way for a new chapter, as Humbug was released in 2009.
This album took Arctic Monkeys fans by surprise, as it was still clearly them, but it had a more experimental and robust sound. Some people who were obsessed with those first two records dismissed it, but with the power of hindsight, we can recognise Humbug for what it is, which is one of the most dynamite musical outings ever by an indie band. With this newfound sense of freedom, Arctic Monkeys played around with different effects and sounds, and it paved the way for tracks like ‘Dance Little Liar’ and ‘Pretty Visitors’, which are now considered classics.
Defining track: ‘The Jeweller’s Hands’
Alex Turner’s most flamboyant album: ‘Everything You’ve Come to Expect’
Release Date: April 1st 2016 | Producer: James Ford | Label: Domino
There’s some graffiti in Hunter’s Bar in Sheffield, an area referenced in Arctic Monkeys’ debut, which reads, “Hey Alex… how’s California?” The street art is a dig at the lead singer, saying that he’s abandoned his roots since that debut album and has left the city of Sheffield behind him. This is true, as for the past decade, Turner has abandoned the sweet-natured northern soul and embraced a more flamboyant persona. Some find this new version of him fake and dull, while others find it entertaining and a side effect of natural growth.
If you’re in the latter category, then you’re going to have to listen to the Last Shadow Puppets album Everything You’ve Come to Expect, which sees Alex Turner and longtime friend Miles Kane at their most bizarre. The whole record is a mosaic of metaphor and string sections, as they talk about dreams, living as mobsters and lollipops. The album is a pretty good listen, and it allows Turner to tap into unbridled chaos, which is quite fun to indulge.
Defining track: ‘Sweet Dreams TN’
Alex Turner’s most underrated album: ‘Submarine’
Release Date: March 14th 2011 | Producer: James Ford | Label: Domino
Maybe “underrated” is a harsh term, as this album was never made to be a number one record, but it’s certainly an album that more people should have heard. Submarine is the soundtrack for a movie of the same name, and it sees Alex Turner at his most stripped-back and vulnerable.
With a lot of the songs acoustic, including an early recording of the Suck It And See ballad ‘Piledriver Waltz’, this is an album that allows you to soak up the gorgeous vocals and songwriting talent of one of the best indie artists out there. With only six songs, it’s hardly an album that requires a lot of time, but it’s certainly a piece of music you should give yourself a moment to listen to.
Defining track: ‘Stuck on the Puzzle’
Alex Turner’s bad album: ‘The Car’
Release Date: October 21st 2022 | Producer: James Ford | Label: Domino
“Hey Alex… how’s California?” Those words come back to haunt the frontman once again. While on Everything You’ve Come to Expect, Turner’s newfound exuberance seems to come from a place of joy and whimsy, on Arctic Monkeys’ most recent offering, The Car, the singer seems to take himself far too seriously.
His poetic lyrics are replaced with nonsensical ramblings that aren’t even charming in their abstract nature. Not to mention, it doesn’t sound like any members of the band have had any input in writing the album, as it sounds more like Alex Turner has hired a string section and told them to keep up with whatever he was rambling. It seemed impossible, but for a long time, but with The Car, Alex Turner made his first genuinely terrible album.
Defining track: I personally wouldn’t bother listening to any of it
