Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino released in May 11, 2018 40 minutes long Rating: 8.0 Favourite phrase: "Easy Money"

What took so long?



Having taken more than four years to release a new studio album (much due to the band's consensual success), AM had the courage and opportunity to expose a new face and sound palette. The delay wasn't due to the "AM" album tour duration - which ended in November 2014 - but Turner said to be in "no rush" at all to release Tranquility. Pink Floyd, for example, finally took their first one year break after Dark Side of the Moon boom in 1973 (having released at least one album per year for seven years).



Decent album sleeve

Switching from a predominantly grayish tone seen on the band's previous cover arts, warm colors stand out: yellow, orange and red. Along with the multilayered 3D model of a establishment (most likely, a hotel & casino), the thin typography suggests finesse, in contrast with the teen-like indie cover of 2009 "Humbug".

Where on Earth are the guitars? Having taken more than four years to release a new studio album (much due to the band's consensual success), AM had the courage and opportunity to expose a new face and sound palette. The delay wasn't due to the "AM" album tour duration - which ended in November 2014 - but Turner said to be in "no rush" at all to release Tranquility. Pink Floyd, for example, finally took their first one year break after Dark Side of the Moon boom in 1973 (having released at least one album per year for seven years).





Jazz + Funk + Psychedelia

Right on "Star Treatment", rapid chord changes and modal interchanges mark me as an unexpected approach to the opening track - not just on the intro, but on the chorus too! After the second verse "the martini police?" a drum fill marks the same jazzish taste.

On the other hand, the track "Four Out Of Five" contains on-grid whip snare drum and distorted guitars, making the album shortly aim for a funkier direction - and later transition for a psychedelic rock vibe with backing vocals and airy instrumentation. The punchy distorted guitars, as seen in the first albums, were substituted by cleaner, softer and less flashy appearances. The album definitely aims for a more airy, synth-driven psychedelic sci-fi tonality - as you can clearly tell by the album's title track resemblance to The Doors Manzarek keys' feel. Also, reverb on many tracks helps to install a certain Tame Impala distant (and even ambient) feel.





Your standard vocals

Alex Turner keeps stamping the same old rhythmic and melodic vibe of AM with the characteristic vocals with distortion and fast delay. I swear if weren't for the vocals, I wouldn't be able to tell the artist of this album, listening to it blindfolded on radio. Also, in appropriate measure, tracks like "The World's First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip" and dreamy "Golden Trunks" have Turner overdub a well crafted voice harmony. Varying poorly from the everlasting strongly British accent lead vocals, "She Looks Like Fun" briefly displays a more destructive gruff voice alternative, which reminds me of bass Jim Morrison lead vocals.