Indeed, Suck It And See’s most discernible singles don’t really sound like singles at all, and certainly the swaggering cut Brick By Brick – on which Helders sings lead for the first time – favour riffs and repetition over quick changes and lyrical wisecracks. “I think this time we were trying to write poppier songs and maybe do it in a darker way,” Helders explains in his endearing Sheffield brogue.
“Not like on Humbug (the band’s third album, from 2009) – but we kind of noticed different ways of doing heavy tunes without necessarily making it as loud or as fast as possible. You can almost get a bit of weight behind the rhythm of it, like Black Sabbath or something.”
Those references aren’t for nothing, many of the stronger suits on the album like opener She’s Thunderstorms and the bass-driven Reckless Serenade have a decidedly late ‘60s rock feel to them. And that’s just the way Helders like it.
“We tried to make it detailed and think of it as an actual vinyl record,” he explains, “you know, two halves: Side A, Side B… hoping that people will listen to it in that way and obviously knowing very few of them do,” he laughs.
Despite coming to prominence in the age of the quick musical fix with their bombastic and generation-defining first two albums – 2005’s Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not and 2006’s Favourite Worst Nightmare – Arctic Monkeys are now seemingly more interested in making music with more of a lifespan.
Many of the hooks on Suck It And See really only sit well the third time around; the lyrics, while brilliant, aren’t as immediately snappy and the sound is warmer, fuller almost, from Jamie Cook’s guitars right down to the kick of Helders’ bass drum.
Much of that is down to producer James Ford (of Simian Mobile Disco fame) with whom the band are now incredibly close and who remains someone Helders is happy to cite as a longstanding positive influence.
“He’s got great taste and can play a ton of instruments really well,” he relates. “It’s just really a very comfortable environment. He can do all the boring bits, like when we’re tracking guitar parts he can sit down at the drums and I can relax for a bit.”
Everything Arctic Monkeys have ever done has led up to this point. They signed with Domino when there were many lucrative deals on the table, because founder Laurence Bell was a guy who “obviously thought ‘Good music, good songs’ not just ‘Will it be a big seller?’ or whatever,” Helders recalls.
They also instated Ford – who had been involved with the group before they’d even cut their first record “when we were too fast and tried to rush it a bit” – to the role of solo producer.
They even took a year off from playing live – their longest ever – to write these new songs the old-fashioned way, in a cold London rehearsal room.
“We had them to the point where we could play them all the way through without changing things, and that meant when we came to the studio we could just worry about the sound of it and getting a good performance,” reasons Helders.
Most importantly, they eschewed the easy route of replicating the same sound four times over by again writing an album which demands a more longterm investment, like in the good old days when neither I nor Matt Helders were born.
This is what Arctic Monkeys have always dreamed of being; solid, hard-working songwriters. It’s why, for instance, frontman Alex Turner rarely strays near that upper register that used to define the band’s sound anymore, settling for consistency over histrionics. And it’s the reason you won’t hear a lot of Helders running his way around the toms like a kid who forgot his Ritalin anymore. “For me, it’s always been about playing tastefully for the song,” he figures.
“I think it’s a fine line for a drummer between just being there to keep time or going off. In a way it’s probably harder, though, to stick to a beat without wanting to show off or go a bit mad.”
Sticking to the groove has also turned out to be a technical godsend for Helders, who is renowned for his ability to whip out complex, syncopated fills and sing backing vocals at the same time, but admits that it certainly isn’t easy.
“I was quite eager to do it, actually”, he says of his star vocal turn on Brick By Brick, “and doing it in the studio and knowing I could play it live was obviously quite reassuring as well.
“There have been points where we’ve written stuff and then backing it up on stage was really hard… View From The Afternoon-sort of stuff, which is alright for co-ordination… but I’m just a bit out of breath by the end of it,” he grins.
Suck It And See is all about recapturing proper breathing space for Arctic Monkeys. Unlike their earlier sparse, minimalist efforts, it’s an indulgence in sound, recorded at the legendary Sound City Studios in L.A. where Nirvana cut Nevermind: “It’s touted as the best drum room in the world,” Helders says proudly. More crucially, it’s a studied exercise in combining musical elements that the band had previously been taken for granted as falling into place. Something that stems from the band’s internal growth – having been together now for the better part of a decade – as well as their extra-curricular activities, such as Helders’ remixing and DJing, or Turner’s solo efforts and collaboration with Myles Kane as The Last Shadow Puppets.
“Before [on their debut] we’d have a few ideas that we’d put together; a riff, a drumbeat,” Helders recalls, “and we sort of mish-mashed it all together into making a tune.
“But we sat down and listened to other amazing songwriters and thought ‘These songs are good for a reason.’ So that’s why we’re happier with a more traditional or ‘classic’ approach.” And the result was a set of tunes that showcase a band that’ve evolved extensively, right before our eyes.
It may be a long way from betting that you look good on the dancefloor, but with Suck It And See, Arctic Monkeys are finally starting to feel comfortable in their own skin.
“The songs from this record, a lot of them seem like they have bits from every record in them,” says Helders, “That’s all we wanted really.”
