During a recent interview with the Observer's Barbara Ellen, Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner mused over what it was that made his band so special. It was, he concluded, the fact that "whatever it is that makes us sound like us is built into the four of us. Josh [Homme] said it, too: 'Whatever happens, it will always sound like you guys.'"

Like the best bands, from the Beach Boys to the Smiths, Arctic Monkeys have a signature sound that's instantly recognisable whether they're playing their debut album's sticky dancefloor indie or third album Humbug's beefed-up desert rock. It should be no surprise to hear, then, that Suck It and See is a record that only Arctic Monkeys could have made. But is it any good?

Well, for those who thought the band had lost their way with the experimental Humbug, there are plenty of pop melodies to placate you here (often ones with a 60s feel to them). Opener She's Thunderstorms shows their nifty way of surprising the listener with an off-kilter chord change, while later on Turner can be found doing his best Richard Hawley impression: "She's been loop the looping, around my mi-i-i-i-nd." Elsewhere, Piledriver Waltz's pretty guitar lines dissolve into a chorus about having "breakfast at the heartbreak hotel".

The band are still determined to rock out, though, and their evolution into a beefier proposition hasn't stalled. Brick By Brick, the first track the band previewed from the album, came across as a sluggish, pub-rock affair, but the haywire riffing on Library Pictures unleashes a more agile, unpredictable noise.

We'll have a full review later in the week, but for now let us know what you think of Suck It and See in the comments section below.