Pratchayatorn Russamee
Body Paint, the latest single from Arctic Monkeys, brings back the signature retro vibe and marks a perfect string arrangement.
Bring Back the Retro
Body Paint is the latest single from The Car (2022) by Arctic Monkeys, the indie rock band from Sheffield. This slow-burned single was released with the vintage music video on YouTube shortly after the album’s first release, There’d Better Be a Mirrorball. Body Paint gives us a dreamy and retro vibe reminiscent of the Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino album (2018).
The change in the band’s style from indie rock to rock ballad didn’t stop the fans’ love and the music industry’s spotlight.
Spectacular Bridge and Outro with String-laden and Electric Guitar
This song easily pulls us back to the mid-70s era with the mellow combination of a strings arrangement, an amplified piano that sounds like an organ, electric guitar, and rhythmic sound of drum and bass. The string arrangement in the bridge sounds exceptional. It isn’t usual for Arctic Monkeys to feature strings in their discography but it works very well with their new sound after the shift we’ve seen in their rceent songs.
The piano and the electric guitar during the intro and outro also make the song a stand-out. It’s no wonder the bridge and outro are the part that most people talk about,
The Work of Poetry Lyrics
For a master of deception and subterfuge. You’ve made yourself quite the bed, to lie in
The song begins with Alex sarcastically accusing his lover of lying. The romantic song begins with amplified piano and drum in the background, which sets the tone for some emotional storytelling.
So predictable, I know what you’re thinking
The catchy chorus will keep playing in your head for ages after listening. The chorus continues to tell the story that he knows that his lover is cheating on him. It is probably not the first time he was lied to, and he’s tired of this. It’s a sentiment a lot of listeners can relate to.
I’m watching your every move
I feel the tears are coming on
It won’t be long
When you know your lover is cheating on you, because you’re seeing that they’re acting weird or pretending there is nothing going on, it’s hurtful. These lines could show how he’s comforting himself that this pain won’t last long.
Straight from the cover shoot
Still a trace of body paint
On your legs and on your arms and on your face
The ‘body paint’ is probably a metaphor for as evidence of cheating in this relationship. Maybe, in Alex’s eyes, these traces of body paint might show him what his lover is hiding.
Of course, there is no certain meaning to the song. The room for the imaginary and personal interpretation is still open for the fans.
Overall, the poetic rhetoric of this song is so sensational that when combined with the emotive and nostalgic retro music, it has such a hard-hitting effect. It’s impossible not to feel what Alex is encouraging you to feel.
And, whether you like this single or not, you cam’t deny that Alex’s falsetto voice in the bridge and outro is beautiful. The uniqueness of his voice brings even more personality to the song. It makes you empathise with him even more, because you’re seeing a side to him that is far from what we normally see.
So far, this single has proven that Alex Turner’s songwriting and singing skills – and the band’s overall talent – is still going strong.
Fans React
Several reviews and comments also talk about how this single and its use of instrumental technique reminds them of songs from the mid-70, particularly The Beatles and David Bowie.
After the live version that they performed at New York City’s Kings Theater and on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the band received very good feedback despite cutting the violin and replacing it with a piano. It’s evident that this ballad style works well live, so we can all look forward to hearing it on their tour next year.
Personally, I liked There’d Better Be A Mirrorball slightly more than Body Paint after the first listen, because it’s more catchy and a bit more mellow. However, after a few more listens, I realised how beautiful Body Paint actually was. I like that the band tries to work on different genres of music. It shows that they’ll never stop learning and experimenting.
How these two songs will pick up from what AM left in Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is something many fans look forward to hearing in Arctic Monkeys’ comeback album, The Car.
The full album will come out on 21st October 2022. For UK and Ireland fans, Arctic Monkeys will begin their tour on 29th May 2023 in Bristol and end on 25th June 2023 in Glasgow. The tour includes three days from 16th-18th June 2023 at Emirates Stadium, London.
As a fan, I can’t wait to hear the whole album and see them live next year!
Featured image courtesy of Daniel Apodaca via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
