Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino
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''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' is the sixth studio album by English
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band Arctic Monkeys, released on 11 May 2018 by Domino Recording Company. It was written by band frontman Alex Turner in 2016 on a
Steinway Vertegrand The Model K or "Vertegrand" is an upright piano introduced in 1903 by Steinway & Sons. It is the oldest essentially unchanged upright piano design currently in mass production. Although production was interrupted from about 1939 until its reappea ...
piano in his Los Angeles home. It was produced in Los Angeles, Paris and London by frequent Arctic Monkeys collaborator James Ford and Turner, alongside a wide array of guest musicians including Tom Rowley,
Loren Humphrey Guards are an American three piece rock band. They consist of Richie Follin, Loren Humphrey, and Kaylie Church. They released their debut album, ''In Guards We Trust'', in February 2013. History 2010: Formation Guards formed in New York City w ...
, James Righton,
Zach Dawes Zachary Edwin Dawes (born July 2, 1985) is an American musician, producer, engineer, and technician, best known as the bassist for the bands Mini Mansions and The Last Shadow Puppets. He has also made contributions to music by Brian Wilson, Lan ...
,
Tyler Parkford Tyler Parkford is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist and vocalist for Los Angeles-based band, Mini Mansions. He is also one half of the lounge pop duo Mister Goodnite, and a touring member of the British indie rock band Arctic M ...
and
Cam Avery Cameron Avery (born 21 April 1988) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the bands Pond and Tame Impala, and as the frontman for The Growl. Early life Born in East Fremantle, ...
. Turner designed the album artwork himself, which depicts the resort with cardboard cut-outs and a
tape recorder An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present- ...
. Its title refers to Tranquility Base, the site of the 1969
Apollo 11 Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, an ...
Moon landing. ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' is a major departure from the band's previous guitar-heavy work, being less accessible than its internationally successful predecessor, '' AM'' (2013). It features a rich sound that embodies psychedelic pop,
lounge pop Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The rang ...
, space pop, and glam rock, as well as elements of
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
. It also draws influence from
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
,
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
French pop French pop music is pop music sung in the French language. It is usually performed by singers from France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, or any of the other francophone areas of the world. The target audience is the francophone market (primar ...
and
film soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
s of the 1960s. Instrumentally, it incorporates vintage synthesisers and keyboards, including organs, pianos, harpsichords and the
dolceola A dolceola is a musical instrument resembling a miniature piano, but which is in fact a zither with a keyboard. It has an unusual, angelic, music-box sound. Dolceolas were made by the Toledo Symphony Company from 1903 to 1907. Performers Paul ...
, as well as the
Orchestron The Vako Orchestron is a keyboard instrument made in the 1970s, that produces its sound through electronic amplification of sounds pre-recorded on an optical disc. It is the professional version of the Mattel Optigan, an earlier and lower-priced ...
, Farfisa and RMI Rocksichord.
Baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...
and
lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ...
s are introduced by the band on multiple tracks, in addition to the electric and acoustic guitars typically used by the band, as well as a variety of percussion instruments, including rotary
timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionall ...
and
vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...
s. Its lyrical content draws heavily from
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
and film, exploring consumerism,
politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
,
religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
and
technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
through the
concept Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs. They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by s ...
of a luxury resort on the Moon told from the perspective of various characters, such as the singer in the in-house band on "Star Treatment" or the hotel's receptionist on the title track. Despite its stylistic deviation polarising listeners, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' was released to generally positive reviews and was named the best album of 2018 by ''Q'' magazine. It was nominated for the 2018
Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
and the
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Alternative Music Album. The single "
Four Out of Five "Four Out of Five" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' (2018), on 13 May 2018, with an accompanying music video. Composition ...
" was nominated for
Best Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...
. It became the band's sixth consecutive number-one debut in the UK, the country's fastest-selling vinyl record in 25 years, and the band's third top 10 album in the US. It also topped the charts in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Greece, Portugal, Scotland and Switzerland. Following its release, the album was promoted by the singles "
Four Out of Five "Four Out of Five" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' (2018), on 13 May 2018, with an accompanying music video. Composition ...
" and " Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino", as well as a global tour and multiple television appearances.


Background and recording

The band's fifth studio album '' AM'' was released in September 2013 to critical acclaim, bringing the group new levels of commercial success globally. In April 2016, Alex Turner's psychedelic pop side project
the Last Shadow Puppets The Last Shadow Puppets are an English supergroup consisting of Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), Miles Kane (The Rascals, solo artist), James Ford (Simian, Simian Mobile Disco, music producer), and Zach Dawes (Mini Mansions). The band released th ...
released their second studio album '' Everything You've Come to Expect''. A year later, Turner co-produced
Alexandra Savior Alexandra Savior McDermott (born June 14, 1995) is an American singer-songwriter originally from Portland, Oregon. She first came to public notice at age 17 in 2012 after being publicly lauded by Courtney Love, who saw a video of Savior performin ...
's debut album '' Belladonna of Sadness'' with James Ford. This was Turner's first foray into record production, with the two proceeding to produce ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino''. Following the international success of ''AM'', Turner suffered from
writer's block Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or th ...
, and struggled to find a direction for a new album. Having written "Sweet Dreams, TN" from ''Everything You've Come to Expect'', he lost interest in writing love songs, with a friend suggesting "not doing that for a moment". In early 2016, upon watching
Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...
's 1963 film ''
' (Italian title: , ) is a 1963 surrealist comedy-drama film directed and co-written (with Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano and Brunello Rondi) by Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini. The metafictional narrative centers on Guido Anselmi, played by Ma ...
'', Turner was inspired by its depiction of writer's block, childhood memories and the
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
genre. He began writing songs for the album on a
Steinway Vertegrand The Model K or "Vertegrand" is an upright piano introduced in 1903 by Steinway & Sons. It is the oldest essentially unchanged upright piano design currently in mass production. Although production was interrupted from about 1939 until its reappea ...
piano he received as a 30th birthday gift from the Arctic Monkeys' manager Ian McAndrew. He wrote and recorded the demos in a spare room of his Los Angeles home dubbed "Lunar Surface". During the process Turner recalled piano lessons he had received from his father at the age of eight, commenting that he "never thought is father's influencewould find its way into iscompositions as much as it has on this record". Many of the vocal takes included on the finished album originate from Turner's home demos on a TASCAM 388 8-track recording machine. Guitarist Jamie Cook commented that he "was blown away by the direction Alex had gone in" when Turner played him the demos in February 2017. Initially unsure how they would record the songs, the two discussed Turner releasing a solo album, but ultimately decided against the idea. Cook began recording guitar ideas to complement the demos, with bassist Nick O'Malley approving of the demo for "Star Treatment". In September 2017, the Arctic Monkeys began recording material at Vox Studios in Hollywood and La Frette in Paris. Frequent collaborator James Ford co-produced the album with Turner. During these sessions the piano and guitar parts began to mesh, with O'Malley and drummer
Matt Helders Matthew Helders (born 7 May 1986) is an English drummer, vocalist and songwriter. He is best known as a founding member of the indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums. In 2015, Helders collaborated with Ig ...
joining. Helders commented that during recording he played with more restraint than on previous records, noting that "it's about playing for the songs". Further recording sessions took place with Ford in London. The group employed a wide array of guest musicians. Ford and guitarist Tom Rowley, (who has served as a touring member of the band since 2013), contributed to several tracks. Drummer Loren Humphrey of Guards, keyboardist James Righton and pianist Josephine Stephenson contributed to "
Four Out of Five "Four Out of Five" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' (2018), on 13 May 2018, with an accompanying music video. Composition ...
", "Science Fiction" and "The Ultracheese".
Zach Dawes Zachary Edwin Dawes (born July 2, 1985) is an American musician, producer, engineer, and technician, best known as the bassist for the bands Mini Mansions and The Last Shadow Puppets. He has also made contributions to music by Brian Wilson, Lan ...
and
Tyler Parkford Tyler Parkford is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist and vocalist for Los Angeles-based band, Mini Mansions. He is also one half of the lounge pop duo Mister Goodnite, and a touring member of the British indie rock band Arctic M ...
of
Mini Mansions Mini Mansions are an American band founded by Zach Dawes, Tyler Parkford, and Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman. Mini Mansions' style has been compared to The Beatles, Elliott Smith, and Fountains of Wayne (though this comparison has ...
, and Evan Weiss of Wires on Fire also performed on "American Sports" and "The World's First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip". Additionally,
Cam Avery Cameron Avery (born 21 April 1988) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the bands Pond and Tame Impala, and as the frontman for The Growl. Early life Born in East Fremantle, ...
of Tame Impala contributed backing vocals to "She Looks Like Fun". The musicians performed together in a single room, influenced by images of the sessions for
the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
' '' Pet Sounds'' (1966), as well as
Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
's
Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...
production method. Parkford joined the band as a touring member following the album's release, whilst Avery also joined the
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Tour The Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Tour was the sixth headlining concert tour by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys in support of their sixth studio album, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino''. The tour began on 2 May 2018 in San Diego, Unite ...
as an opening act and guest musician at some shows.


Composition


Musical style and influences

''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' is a departure from '' AMs guitar riff-driven work, resultant of Turner's usage of the piano over the guitar in its composition. It has been characterised as psychedelic pop,
lounge pop Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The rang ...
, space pop, and glam rock. The album further incorporates influences from
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
, as well as
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
,
prog Prog may refer to: Music * Progressive music ** Progressive music (disambiguation) ** Progressive rock, a subgenre of rock music also known as “prog” *** Progressive rock (radio format) * Prog (magazine), a magazine dedicated to progressive ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
French pop French pop music is pop music sung in the French language. It is usually performed by singers from France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, or any of the other francophone areas of the world. The target audience is the francophone market (primar ...
and
film soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
s of the 1960s. Its sound has been described as "subdued, but warm and classic in the way that musicians who seek out storied mixing consoles aspire to", as well as "lush and claustrophobic". The melodic songs feature unconventional chord progressions, and often abandon the traditional "verse" and "chorus" structure. The album has been noted for its lack of distinct hooks, and its tendency to limit "casual consumption". Instrumentally, it incorporates vintage synthesisers and keyboards reminiscent of space age pop. Keyboards used on the album include organs, pianos, harpsichords and the
dolceola A dolceola is a musical instrument resembling a miniature piano, but which is in fact a zither with a keyboard. It has an unusual, angelic, music-box sound. Dolceolas were made by the Toledo Symphony Company from 1903 to 1907. Performers Paul ...
, as well as the
Orchestron The Vako Orchestron is a keyboard instrument made in the 1970s, that produces its sound through electronic amplification of sounds pre-recorded on an optical disc. It is the professional version of the Mattel Optigan, an earlier and lower-priced ...
, Farfisa and RMI Rocksichord. Multiple tracks feature
baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...
and
lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ...
s in addition to the electric and acoustic guitars typically used by the band, as well as a variety of percussion instruments, including rotary timpani and vibraphones. The album has been compared to the works of
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoca ...
, Leonard Cohen,
Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ca ...
,
Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician and radio presenter. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp, he became a figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Following P ...
,
Richard Hawley Richard Willis Hawley (born 17 January 1967) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. After his first band Treebound Story (formed while he was still at school) broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longp ...
and
Father John Misty Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has also performed and released studio albums under the name J. Tillman. Maintainin ...
, as well as '' Pet Sounds'' (1966) by
the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
. Turner has cited Gainsbourg's ''
Histoire de Melody Nelson ''Histoire de Melody Nelson'' is a 1971 concept album by French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. Produced by Jean-Claude Desmarty, the album was released on March 24, 1971 through Philips Records. Its narrative follows an illicit romance which devel ...
'' (1971), Cohen's '' Death of a Ladies' Man'' (1977), Dion's '' Born to Be with You'' (1975) and
François de Roubaix François de Roubaix (3 April 1939, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine – 22 November 1975, Tenerife, Canary Islands) was a French film score composer. In a decade, he created a musical style with new sounds, until his death in 1975. Biograp ...
's score for ''
Le Samouraï ''Le Samouraï'' (; ), is a 1967 neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. The film follows a professional hitman named Jef Costello who is identified by witnesses and his efforts to provide himself with an alibi ...
'' (1967) as key influences. The album's drum and bass lines have been compared closely to those on ''Histoire de Melody Nelson'', with the influence of ''Pet Sounds'' pervading the record, especially in its vocal harmonies.


Lyrics and themes

''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' is a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
depicting a luxury hotel at Tranquility Base, the location of the
1969 Moon landing Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and ...
. Lyrically, the album refers frequently to
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
, incorporating "
hyperrealist Jean Baudrillard ( , , ; 27 July 1929 – 6 March 2007) was a French sociologist, philosopher and poet with interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as we ...
satire" and "interstellar escapism" in order to explore entertainment's role in periods of social change: "the desire to escape into it, and the desire to create it". This is influenced by current politics in the United States, as well as consumerism, fame, religion and technology. The "forgetful, distractible oddballs" Turner embodies as his narrators frequently become distracted. The multiple
unreliable narrator An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility is compromised. They can be found in fiction and film, and range from children to mature characters. The term was coined in 1961 by Wayne C. Booth in ''The Rhetoric of Fiction''. While unrel ...
s are "sometimes barely ble tostring a sentence together", and draw influence from
lounge music Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The rang ...
. Turner uses multiple vocal tones to "embody" the different characters, with his vocal range incorporating both deep and falsetto singing styles. Turner's lyrical voice has been described as "absurdist suave", as opposed to the "witty sleaze" of his previous work, and has been compared to Argentine short-story writer
Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known bo ...
. The lyrics are dense and self-aware and have been described as "endlessly quotable", written in a "rambling, stream-of-consciousness style". Turner cited various films as influencing the lyrics, including ''
Spirits of the Dead ''Spirits of the Dead'' (french: Histoires extraordinaires, lit=Extraordinary Tales, it, Tre passi nel delirio, lit=Three Steps to Delirium), also known as ''Tales of Mystery and Imagination'', is a 1968 horror anthology film comprising three ...
'' (1968), ''
World on a Wire ''World on a Wire'' (german: Welt am Draht) is a 1973 German science fiction television serial, starring Klaus Löwitsch and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Shot in 16 mm, it was made for German television and originally aired in 1973 in AR ...
'' (1973) and the works of Jean-Pierre Melville. Furthermore, the ideas present within the books ''
Amusing Ourselves to Death ''Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business'' (1985) is a book by educator Neil Postman. The book's origins lay in a talk Postman gave to the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1984. He was participating in a panel on Geo ...
'' (1985) by
Neil Postman Neil Postman (March 8, 1931 – October 5, 2003) was an American author, educator, media theorist and cultural critic, who eschewed digital technology, including personal computers, mobile devices, and cruise control in cars, and was critical of ...
and '' Infinite Jest'' (1996) by David Foster Wallace inspired Turner's philosophical exploration of the human condition in contemporary society. Turner commented that he took a different approach to writing lyrics than on previous albums, noting that he "became less concerned on this album
ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...
compartmentalising every idea to the point where each song became this episode that starts and ends in three minutes". Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen inspired this different perspective on each lyric's relationship with its context. He further noted that his writing on the album was straightforward in a way he considered similar to the band's debut ''
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not ''Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 23 January 2006 by Domino Recording Company and on 21 February 2006 in the United States. The album includes their firs ...
'' (2006). On the connections between the two albums, Turner commented that "it's set in a completely different place, obviously, but there's something in the lyrics that reminds me of something in that writing. I'm tempted to say that it's something to do with how blunt it is. I think that was something I was trying to get away from, and perhaps I’ve returned to it now".


Songs

"Star Treatment", the album's opening track, begins with a reference to American
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band the Strokes' early influence on Turner. On their impact, Turner commented: "The arrival of the Strokes changed what music I was listening to, what shoes I was wearing. I grew my hair out and borrowed my mum's blazer. I was a huge fan". Its chorus describes a fictional band named "the Martini Police". The track's narrator expresses surprise that somebody has never seen the science fiction film ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
'' (1982). Turner has stated that this was based on real-life interactions, noting his interest in the fact that "it goes beyond: 'What do you mean you've never seen ''Blade Runner''?' and gets to: 'Oh my God, I envy you!'". Musically, the track's glam influences have been analogised to "
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
descending on a lunar wedding". It has also been compared to the
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
of Curtis Mayfield, with Turner's "debonaire" vocal delivery being likened to
rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
. "One Point Perspective" is built around a "sweet" and "plucky" percussive piano motif containing "lavish" strings and a basic hip-hop beat. The song's " dandy" narrator has been compared to
Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material * ...
frontman
Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician and radio presenter. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp, he became a figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Following P ...
. Turner has alluded that the song was inspired by conversations he witnessed and experienced whilst under the influence of
narcotics The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...
. Its title refers to a cinematic technique often employed by film directors such as
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
and Wes Anderson, which Turner described as "unsettling". Turner has noted that the track's jazz elements were influenced by his father, commenting that "the sort of jazzy bit of that, that every time it comes around, when I sit there, it feels like something he would play". On "American Sports", the album explores a darker musical direction, featuring "spooky", heavily affected keyboards. Turner's vocals have been described as both "sinister" and "dreamy". The lyric "the trainer's explanation was accepted by the steward" was suggested by his grandfather, in reference to
horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
. The album's titular track mocks contemporary society's sterility, as well as containing political references, on which Turner has commented that "more of those ideas have certainly found a way into this record than anything I’ve done before". It is told from the perspective of the hotel's receptionist, named Mark. Musically, the track features "skittish" jazz drums, as well as harpsichords, performed by Turner and co-producer James Ford. "Golden Trunks" has been described as "unsettling", and contains a "raw and brooding" guitar riff that has been compared to the album's predecessor '' AM''. Turner's falsetto vocals display "rakish charm", with the song depicting a conversation between Turner and a potential romantic interest. It has been suggested that the lyrics "the leader of the free world reminds you of a wrestler wearing tight golden trunks" is in reference to the then president of the United States
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
. "
Four Out of Five "Four Out of Five" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' (2018), on 13 May 2018, with an accompanying music video. Composition ...
" has been described as a "Bowie-ish glam song", as well as being likened to a stylistic combination of the band's ''
Suck It and See ''Suck It and See'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 6 June 2011 by Domino Recording Company. It was produced by the band's longtime collaborator James Ford and was recorded at Sound City Studios in ...
'' (2011) and Turner's work with
the Last Shadow Puppets The Last Shadow Puppets are an English supergroup consisting of Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), Miles Kane (The Rascals, solo artist), James Ford (Simian, Simian Mobile Disco, music producer), and Zach Dawes (Mini Mansions). The band released th ...
. Kitty Empire of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' compared the song's guitar riff to the band's single " Do I Wanna Know?" (2013), incorporating
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
's " Satellite of Love" (1972). It has been labelled as the album's only "singalong anthem", and describes an acclaimed
taqueria A taco stand or taquería is a food stall, food cart or restaurant that specializes in tacos and other Mexican dishes. The food is typically prepared quickly and tends to be inexpensive. Many various ingredients may be used, and various taco s ...
on the moon named the "Information-Action Ratio", in reference to
Neil Postman Neil Postman (March 8, 1931 – October 5, 2003) was an American author, educator, media theorist and cultural critic, who eschewed digital technology, including personal computers, mobile devices, and cruise control in cars, and was critical of ...
's
concept Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs. They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by s ...
, exploring gentrification. The taqueria's name was a coincidental result of
Matt Helders Matthew Helders (born 7 May 1986) is an English drummer, vocalist and songwriter. He is best known as a founding member of the indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums. In 2015, Helders collaborated with Ig ...
' backing vocals, with Turner commenting that "phonetically it's quite alluring". The articulation of Turner's vocals on the track incorporates elements of hip hop. On "The World's First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip", Turner vocally alternates from a "Bowie-style drawl to the falsetto and to a gruff murmur", with its minimal percussion and bass guitar and use of reverb being compared to '' Pet Sounds''. The track was inspired by a news report Turner read describing a monster truck front flip. "Science Fiction" is driven by a "slinky" riff, and has been compared stylistically to the band's '' Humbug'' (2009). The track's title is one of many references to
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
on the album; however, Turner expressed that his reading of the genre was limited. "She Looks Like Fun" has been described as a "'60s-style novelty track". Lyrically, the song addresses social media; Turner was inspired by an episode of American comedy-drama television series ''
High Maintenance ''High Maintenance'' is an American Anthology series, anthology comedy-drama television show, television and web series, web series created by ex-husband and wife team Ben Sinclair (actor), Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld. The show follows The ...
'' in which with the need for "constant updating and refreshing" of social media is depicted. "Batphone" has also been compared to ''Humbug'' and ''AM'', musically featuring a "heavier thump". The album's "schmoozy" final track "The Ultracheese" has been compared to
pop standard Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...
s " Que Sera, Sera", "
New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
", " Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "
Leavin' on Your Mind "Leavin' on Your Mind" is a country pop song written by Wayne Walker and Webb Pierce, first recorded by Canadian singer Joyce Smith in 1962. Patsy Cline was in Owen Bradley's office one day, heard the record Smith made, and immediately wanted the ...
". It features a "gorgeous" acoustic and
baritone guitar The baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length, typically a larger body, and heavier internal bracing, so it can be tuned to a lower pitch. Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP Guitars, PRS Guitars, Music Man, Danelectro, Schec ...
solos performed by Tom Rowley, and descending piano chords that "symbol a kind of final bow". Turner has commented that musically the song resembles his "default position", comparing it to previous tracks " Cornerstone" and " The Dream Synopsis". The track was recorded in a live take with a large ensemble, including baritone and pedal steel guitars, two drum kits, a bass guitar, a
Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...
, and two pianos. Turner referred to the song as the group's most successful implementation of this recording style.


Artwork and title

The album's artwork was designed by Alex Turner using cardboard cut-outs and a Revox A77 tape machine, itself containing an early version of the album. On the artwork, Turner stated that "In the past I've definitely had record covers that don't, to me, represent what's on the wax, and I certainly don't feel that way about this one. By the end of it, I think I'd forgotten there even was a record. I'd just gotten obsessed with cardboard." Turner began by drawing a hexagon, to reflect the band's sixth studio album, eventually drawing influence from architects
Eero Saarinen Eero Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1910 – September 1, 1961) was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer noted for his wide-ranging array of designs for buildings and monuments. Saarinen is best known for designing the General Motors ...
and
John Lautner John Edward Lautner (16 July 1911 – 24 October 1994) was an American architect. Following an apprenticeship in the mid-1930s with the Taliesin Fellowship led by Frank Lloyd Wright, Lautner opened his own practice in 1938, where he worked for th ...
, becoming "quite consumed" by the process. The artwork was initially inspired by a photograph depicting the set for a lunar
Hilton Hotel Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton. The original company was founded by Conrad Hilton. As ...
being built for '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968). Turner began imagining a model of the titular hotel within its lobby. He was further inspired by the rotating sign of Los Angeles food chain House of Pies, an element which he incorporated into the artwork. The album's title is in reference to Tranquility Base, the first site on the Moon to be walked by humans. Turner was inspired by the
conspiracy theory A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...
that
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
faked the first Moon landing, initially naming the spare room in which he wrote and recorded the project's demos "Lunar Surface". He stated that naming the room was "instrumental" in the conception of the title, alongside a series of
Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
-branded cups owned by Turner which depict an eagle with the caption "Tranquility Base".


Release and promotion

In September 2017, bassist Nick O'Malley announced that the band had begun recording a follow-up to 2013's '' AM'', stating that if a new album was not released in 2018 they would have had "problems". The release of ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' was first announced on 5 April 2018, through a short video directed by Ben Chappell. The video depicted the spinning model featured in the album's artwork, and included snippets of new music. The group announced promotional pop-up shops on the weekend of the album's release, in their native
Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
,
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
,
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, and
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. The Sydney pop-up venue also included a mini film festival curated by the band.


Singles and videos

No singles were released prior to the album, although multiple tracks were debuted before its release in the first leg of the
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Tour The Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Tour was the sixth headlining concert tour by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys in support of their sixth studio album, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino''. The tour began on 2 May 2018 in San Diego, Unite ...
. Two days after the album's release, "
Four Out of Five "Four Out of Five" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' (2018), on 13 May 2018, with an accompanying music video. Composition ...
" was issued as its lead single, alongside an accompanying music video directed by Ben Chappell and Aaron Brown. The video was compared to the works of
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
, depicting Turner walking through an elegant home reminiscent of '' The Shining'' and an underground train station evocative of the dystopia of ''
A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
''. The single debuted at number 18 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. In July, the group released a music video for the album's titular track, " Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino", again directed by Brown and Chappell. The stylised video is inspired by Kubrick, featuring the surreal science fiction style established in "Four Out of Five", and depicts Turner exploring a hotel. The track was announced as the album's second single alongside the release of the video. On 30 November, the group released a
7" vinyl In music, a single is a type of Art release#Music, release, typically a song Sound recording, recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for record sales, sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most ca ...
version of the single, accompanied by the previously unreleased B-side "Anyways".


Tour

In January 2018, the band announced a tour of North America and Europe which began in May, concluding in October at the Voodoo Experience. In October they extended the tour into April 2019, with dates added in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Latin America. The songs "American Sports", "Four Out of Five", "One Point Perspective" and "She Looks Like Fun" were debuted live in San Diego on 2 May. This was the tour's opening performance, and the Arctic Monkeys' first performance since 2014. For the tour, the group were joined by longtime touring members Tom Rowley and Davey Latter, as well as album contributors
Tyler Parkford Tyler Parkford is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist and vocalist for Los Angeles-based band, Mini Mansions. He is also one half of the lounge pop duo Mister Goodnite, and a touring member of the British indie rock band Arctic M ...
and
Cam Avery Cameron Avery (born 21 April 1988) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the bands Pond and Tame Impala, and as the frontman for The Growl. Early life Born in East Fremantle, ...
, the latter of whom also acted as a supporting act. The band adapted their live show to better fit the stylistic differences of the album's material, with the new shows being described as "sophisticated". Turner's presence was also noted to be more "playful" than on the band's previous tours, attributed to his decreased usage of the guitar, with the band described as embodying " lounge lizard" characters. The group released the 11-minute documentary film ''Warp Speed Chic'' on their
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel in October 2018. The film was directed by Chappell, and features footage of the French leg of the tour, intercut with September 2017 footage of the band recording the album in France. In June 2019, they released another short documentary film depicting the concluding Mexican leg of the tour, again directed by Chappell.


Other performances

The band made a number of television performances in promotion of the album including on the late-night talk shows ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'', ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show on CBS. It is the fourth and current iteration of '' The Late Late Show''. Airing in the U.S. from Monday to Friday nights at 12:37:28am ...
'' and ''
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second it ...
''. In June, they performed live at
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
's Maida Vale Studios, with their performance being broadcast as a '' Live at the BBC'' special. Their setlist consisted of songs from ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'', as well as earlier songs. In September, the group released a live rendition of "Four Out of Five" and a cover of an untitled song by
Stephen Fretwell Stephen Fretwell (born 10 November 1981) is an English singer-songwriter. Biography Fretwell attended St. Augustine Webster Primary School in Scunthorpe and St. Bede's Catholic School in Ashby before furthering his study at John Leggott Colleg ...
as a part of the ''
Spotify Singles Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active users ...
'' series, recorded live at Electric Lady Studios in New York. In January 2019, the band made their debut performance on American music program '' Austin City Limits''.


Reception


Critical

''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' received generally favourable reviews from critics, but was described as being "polarising" for listeners. At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a score of 76, based on 32 reviews. Thomas Smith of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' noted that the album was likely to divide listeners, describing it as "the band's most intriguing record to date". Cosette Schulz for ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' suggested against dismissing the album without multiple listens, writing that it "feels like poetic social and fantasy-world commentary penned by Turner, who then fancied having a go at the piano and then brought the whole band in for good measure." For '' Q'', Niall Doherty described it as "a strange, wonderful album, one that almost feels like Arctic Monkeys have embarked on their own full-band side-project". Roisin O'Connor of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' described it as "creative, intriguing and completely different". ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
''s Larry Fitzmaurice similarly noted the album as the group's "strangest and most alluring", writing that a "sense of heading into the unknown – of charting new and strange artistic territory, accessibility be damned – pervades ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' as a whole, its own adventurousness proving a successful gambit". ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
''s
Neil McCormick Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been Chief Music Critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV in the UK, Neil McCormick's Nee ...
found it to be "a work with its own internal logic that mocks the very notion of artistic integrity". John Robinson for '' Uncut'' praised the album as "low-key but engrossing", but noted that "it can be a little one-paced, and a little withholding". For ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'',
Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...
praised the project's humour, but criticised its occasional smugness, noting that the tracks "can feel like less than the sum of their parts". He concluded that the album was an imperfect success which showcased "evidence – albeit flawed – of a certain musical restlessness". Kitty Empire of sister publication ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' was more positive, writing that despite a chance that the album might be poorly-received, the "voyage into themed purgatory ... is worth it". She praised the album's stylistic deviation from the accessible
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
of '' AM'', resulting in "a riveting and immersive listen".
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
writer
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
praised the album, writing that "the expansive aural horizons of ''Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino'' suggest there are plenty of avenues for Turner to steer Arctic Monkeys into a fruitful middle age". However, he noted that focused listening revealed careless details, and that the album was hindered by an absence of memorable songs. Similarly, Annie Zaleski of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' noted that its lack of "obvious hooks" was its key flaw, with its structureless nature resulting in the album feeling "unmoored and even plodding". In a mixed review for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', Jon Dolan praised the album's ambition but criticised the album as "meandering", concluding that the new stylistic direction "doesn't quite work".


Accolades

''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' was nominated for the 2018
Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
, an annual prize awarded to the year's best British or Irish album based solely on said album's merit, regardless of an act's popularity or previous general success. This became the band's fourth nomination for the award: the second most nominations received by any act. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the
61st Annual Grammy Awards The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and fo ...
, with single "
Four Out of Five "Four Out of Five" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' (2018), on 13 May 2018, with an accompanying music video. Composition ...
" nominated for
Best Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...
. The album also appeared on numerous year-end lists. At Album of the Year, which creates an aggregate of music critic's year-end lists, ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' was listed as the fourteenth best album of the year, with '' Q'' and Kitty Empire of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' naming it the best album of 2018. Publications including ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' and ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...
'' also listed ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' as the year's second best album. ''
Uproxx ''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...
'', BBC Radio 6 Music and ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' included the album in the top five of their year-end lists, with ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' and ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' including the album in their top ten. Publications that listed the album in their top twenty include ''Flood'', '' Paste'' and ''
The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...
''. Numerous publications included ''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' in their top fifty albums of the year, including ''
Crack Magazine ''Crack'' is a monthly independent music and culture magazine distributed across Europe. Founded in Bristol in the UK in 2009, the magazine has featured Björk, MF Doom, Lil Yachty, FKA twigs, Gorillaz and Queens of the Stone Age on the cover. T ...
'', ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'', ''
musicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
'', '' Pitchfork'', '' Uncut'' and '' Louder Than War'', while ''
Noisey ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...
'' listed the album in their top hundred. At the end of the 2010s, the album was included in decade-end lists by ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' (48) and ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' (53).


Commercial performance

''Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino'' debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, with combined sales of 86,000 copies, and became the group's sixth consecutive album to debut at number one in the UK. In addition, with 24,500 vinyl copies sold in the first week, the album became the country's fastest selling vinyl record since 1993, a record held formerly by Liam Gallagher's '' As You Were''. A week following its release, the album was certified silver by the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
, receiving gold certification on June 1. The album debuted at number one in France, Australia, Scotland, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece and Portugal. It additionally reached number two in Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark and Norway, and the top ten in Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Finland, Sweden, Japan and Poland. In the United States, the album debuted at number eight on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 47,000 units, of which 37,000 were in traditional album sales.


Track listing


Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. Arctic Monkeys * Alex Turner – vocals , backing vocals , organ , piano , guitar , bass ,
Orchestron The Vako Orchestron is a keyboard instrument made in the 1970s, that produces its sound through electronic amplification of sounds pre-recorded on an optical disc. It is the professional version of the Mattel Optigan, an earlier and lower-priced ...
, synthesiser ,
baritone guitar The baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length, typically a larger body, and heavier internal bracing, so it can be tuned to a lower pitch. Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP Guitars, PRS Guitars, Music Man, Danelectro, Schec ...
,
dolceola A dolceola is a musical instrument resembling a miniature piano, but which is in fact a zither with a keyboard. It has an unusual, angelic, music-box sound. Dolceolas were made by the Toledo Symphony Company from 1903 to 1907. Performers Paul ...
, harpsichord , acoustic guitar , drums * Jamie Cook – guitar , lap steel , acoustic guitar , baritone guitar * Nick O'Malley – bass , backing vocals , guitar , baritone guitar *
Matt Helders Matthew Helders (born 7 May 1986) is an English drummer, vocalist and songwriter. He is best known as a founding member of the indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums. In 2015, Helders collaborated with Ig ...
– drums , rotary timpani , backing vocals , synthesisers , Farfisa Additional musicians * James Ford – drums , percussion , Orchestron , vibraphone , pedal steel , acoustic guitar , piano , Farfisa , RMI Rocksichord , baritone guitar , harpsichord , synthesiser programming , syntesiser , rotary timpani , organ * Tom Rowley – guitar , electric guitar , acoustic guitar , piano , fuzz guitar , electric guitar solo , acoustic and baritone guitar solo *
Zach Dawes Zachary Edwin Dawes (born July 2, 1985) is an American musician, producer, engineer, and technician, best known as the bassist for the bands Mini Mansions and The Last Shadow Puppets. He has also made contributions to music by Brian Wilson, Lan ...
– baritone guitar , piano *
Tyler Parkford Tyler Parkford is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist and vocalist for Los Angeles-based band, Mini Mansions. He is also one half of the lounge pop duo Mister Goodnite, and a touring member of the British indie rock band Arctic M ...
– piano , Farfisa *
Evan Weiss Into It. Over It. is the indie rock solo project of the Chicago, Illinois-based musician Evan Thomas Weiss. It is considered one of the top acts in the emo revival scene of the 2010s. History Evan Weiss grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. His f ...
– acoustic guitar *
Loren Humphrey Guards are an American three piece rock band. They consist of Richie Follin, Loren Humphrey, and Kaylie Church. They released their debut album, ''In Guards We Trust'', in February 2013. History 2010: Formation Guards formed in New York City w ...
– drums * James Righton
Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...
*
Josephine Stephenson Josephine Stephenson (born 1990) is a French-British composer, arranger, singer and instrumentalist who works across a variety of musical genres. Early life and education Stephenson learned cello and piano as a child, and as a teenager attend ...
– piano Technical * James Ford – production, engineering , mixing * Alex Turner – production, engineering * Jimmy Robertson – engineering * Nico Quéré – engineering * Anthony Cazade – engineering * Jonathan Ratovoarisoa – engineering * Michael Harris – engineering * Loren Humphrey – engineering Artwork * Alex Turner – artwork * Matthew Cooper – design * Zackery Michael – photography * Ben Chappell – band portraits, additional photography


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino 2018 albums Arctic Monkeys albums Lounge music albums Space age pop albums Glam rock albums by English artists Psychedelic pop albums Albums produced by James Ford (musician) Science fiction concept albums Domino Recording Company albums Albums recorded at Electro-Vox Recording Studios