With the release of their fourth album, Suck It and See, Arctic Monkeys have proven themselves to no longer be a group of boys trying to play as loud and as fast as they can. All of the songs, except for “Library Pictures”, exposes a more calm, paired down version of the band than we’ve previously seen. This is brought about by a change in frontman Alex Turner’s songwriting, which has been apparent in previous projects where he strayed from the band. What this progression lacks in aggression, it makes up for in maturity, allure, and the usual creative lyrics.

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Although Submarine, the movie, will not be released in the U.S. until June 3, the soundtrack is now available. Written and performed by the unbearably talented Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys, these songs capture the mood of what appears to be a film about two teen lovebirds living on the lonely British seaside. Including only six songs, the soundtrack exposes a paired down, slowed down version of the musician who is best known for loud, raucous songs with titles like “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor” and “Fluorescent Adolescent”. Most of it sounds like he’s trying to sing me into dreamland, except for the more upbeat “Piledriver Waltz”, in which he sings “I etched the face of a stopwatch on the back of a raindrop and did a swap for the sand in an hourglass. I heard an unhappy ending. It sort of sounds like you’re leaving. I heard the piledriver waltz. It woke me up this morning.” Turner’s sexy British drawl whispers other poetic lyrics, like “As long as you still keep pepper in the pill, you’ll find a way to spit it out again. And even when you know the way it’s gonna blow,…

As a lover of all things Oasis, I didn’t want to like the new Beady Eye album, which came out on March 1 in the U.S. Although the band is made up of most Oasis’ former members, it’s missing what was always the key ingredient for me: Noel Gallagher. Similar to Oasis they are, but Oasis they are not. I can’t write them off as the talent-less other members as much as I want to though. The songs are catchy with strong guitars and quite memorable. My favorite song so far is “For Anyone”, a sweet Beatles-esque (big surprise) ditty, which is probably the least rock ’n’ roll song on the album. On top of the consistent strum of a guitar, Liam sings “For anyone who knows, for anyone who’s been, forever in my heart, I’ll see you in my dreams. For anyone who loves, for anyone who feels, I’m never giving up until the dream is real. I know it’s gonna be all right. Forever I’ll be by your side.” I do find it annoying that Liam seems to think he hasn’t achieved all of his dreams at this point in his life. He’s a long way from the bratty, arrogant days of Oasis declaring that they were the biggest band in the world whilst they were just in the beginning stages. However, I enjoy Liam’s belief that everything will be all right, which reflects the oft-used Oasis theme that having faith in some spiritual mystery makes everything okay, apparent in songs like “Whatever” and “The Masterplan”.

Quick comparisons to P.J. Harvey’s 2007 album White Chalk will find that 2011’s Let England Shake is faster, louder, and really more of a rock album. While this is true, it is not unfamiliar ground to Harvey, whose To Bring You My Love (1995), Is This Desire? (1998), and Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000) all include edgy, powerful rock songs. The first guitar strums on “The Last Living Rose” are even reminiscent of the raw sound on 1992’s Dry and 1993’s Rid of Me, before settling into a smooth melancholic melody; a paired down version of her heavier sound. With each album, she transforms her appearance and musical identity into something new and original so it is no surprise that this album, written mostly on the auto-harp, has a sound that departs from the last, which was quieter and more piano-driven.

Like a dark Donovan, Phil plays melodic, unselfconscious songs as though he has nothing to prove, which he doesn’t.