Elbow frontman Guy Garvey has praised Arctic Monkeys‘ new album, describing it as “amazing” and saying that it contains Alex Turner’s “finest work”.
The Sheffield band released sixth album ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ on May 11. The record divided opinion among fans and critics alike.
Reviewing the album, NME‘s Thomas Smith wrote: “The album’s title is a fitting one: this record feels a lot like gazing into the night sky. At first it’s completely overwhelming – you’ll be trying to connect the scattered dots on this initially impenetrable listen, and maybe even despairing when it doesn’t all come together. But when the constellations show through, you’ll realise that it’s a product of searingly intelligent design.”
Garvey, whose band support The Rolling Stones in Cardiff during June, spoke to NME on the red carpet at today’s Ivor Novello awards, revealing that he once watched Arctic Monkeys side-stage at Glastonbury alongside Mick Jagger.
“I met Mick Jagger very briefly on the side of the stage when Arctic Monkeys were playing Glastonbury one year,” Garvey explained. “That’s how brief it was, it wasn’t really worth bringing up [to my fellow bandmates].”
Asked his thoughts on Arctic Monkeys’ new album, Garvey said: “I think it’s amazing. The second tune on the record [‘One Point Perspective’], I think it’s [Alex Turner’s] finest work.”
Watch the full interview below:
It was recently announced that Garvey has taken on the role as a visiting professor in songwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Speaking about the news at the Ivor’s, Garvey said: “All I know so far is that I’m going to go for a tweedy jacket with leather patches on the elbows. I’m going to suck my glasses a lot and say the word ‘basically’ over and over again.”