By Victoria Barker

SPIN OF THE WEEK

Humbug - Arctic Monkeys
Score: 3.5/5

WHEN British alternative rockers Arctic Monkeys burst onto the scene in 2006, they caused an uproar.

Critics were surprised at frontman Alex Turner's undeniably witty and concise lyrics on their debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not; and the album sold 360,000 copies in Britain in the first week after its release.

It also snagged the prestigious Mercury Prize that year.

Follow-up Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007) may not have matched that album in terms of record sales, but it was praised by critics and pundits as it retained the group's meaty sound.

Now, after a brief hiatus, in which Turner worked on side project The Last Shadow Puppets, the Sheffield lads are back with Humbug, a 10-track collection of hard and fast tunes.

It's a wildly unpredictable ride that takes listeners through emotional highs and lows, with songs backed by thundering drums and an array of other instruments, including organ and even castanets.

Turner, 23, shows off an edgier, almost broody croon - especially on opening track My Propeller - creating a dark, chilling atmosphere that threatens to consume you whole.

His lyrical abilities are well displayed under the guidance of California producer and Queens of the Stone Age vocalist Josh Homme.

On lead single Crying Lightning, for example, he wails above the fuzzy bassline: "Your pastimes consisted of the strange/The twisted and deranged/And I loved that little game/You had called Crying Lightning."

All we can say is, man, the Monkeys got this one right.

I look to you - Whitney Houston
Score: 3/5

THIS alleged former drug addict with the big voice returns with her seventh studio album after a sixyear hiatus.

The diva has brought some contemporary names - including Alicia Keys (Million Dollar Bill) and Akon (Like I Never Left) - along for the ride in a bid to stay relevant. But, truth be told, the 46-year-old still shines brightest on power ballads such as I Look To You.

Cutting The Edge - Chicks on Speed
Score: 3.5/5

THEIR 2003 number, We Don't Play Guitars, was irresistibly catchy and now the Munich-based all-woman electropop group is back with another in-your-face record.

Expect whimsical lyrics spoken and sung over mad beats on this two-disc treat that pokes fun at everything from budget air travel (Buzz) to vibrating, um, devices (Vibrator).

Love Tattoo - Imelda May
Score: 3.5/5

GO BACK in time to the rockin' 1950s with this Dublin-born lass, whose unique brand of vintage rockabilly is a real breath of fresh air.

Her slinky drawl and unmistakable sass make rockabilly new again, especially on the title track and foot-tapping first single, Johnny Got A Boom Boom. Songs like Meet You At The Moon prove why critics have lauded her vocal chops.

Rebelution - Pitbull
Score: 2/5

THIS Puerto Rican rapper's infectious song, I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho), is dominating dancefloors the world over. Unfortunately, the rest of the album will have you wishing you had a drink to drown your sorrows in.

Girls is a pathetic ode to pickin' up ladies, while Full Of S*** makes you think that's just what Pitbull is. Strictly for the underage Boat Quay crowd.

myp@sph.com.sg

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