On Oct. 21, Arctic Monkeys released their seventh studio album “The Car.”. The band’s most recent albums have taken a much more experimental approach, and this one is no exception.

Arctic Monkeys rose to fame after the release of their “A.M.” album and the hit song “Do I Wanna Know?”. However, many of their albums since then have had a very different tone. Their most recent album is a fantastic example.

The heavy bass and loud guitars of their earlier music is traded out for a much slower, almost blues feel, with almost orchestral string arrangements. The deep swaying feeling the album has is incredibly unique. However, unique doesn’t always mean good.

The vocals struggle to mesh well with the background for the majority of the songs. On Metacritic, one user calls it “the most boring album in the Arctic Monkey’s discography.” Both are independently fantastic, but together they don’t mesh as well as their previous styles. Along with that, their change in sound is a little disappointing. From their beginning in almost punk indie music, to their eventual success in very bass heavy indie rock, to their current sound can seem like a significant downgrade.The album is great for what it is, but it’s hard to get past the difference between the band’s past music and what they make now.

Overall, my favorite song from this album is “Body Paint”. I think it’s the best example of the band’s new style and the direction it seems the band has decided to take. The song’s execution of their ideas is probably the best on the album. I rate “The Car” 3 out of 5 cardinal heads.