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Single Review: Arctic Monkeys – Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?

Any wannabe likely lad born in the ’90s is about to have a dream come true here in this video for ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?’: a night out with this generation’s version coolest of cats, Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys. Problem is, this night’s gone a bit weird, Mr. Turner has been up all night telling girls what he thinks of their dance moves and he’s taken something indiscriminate that’s got his head jumping to sixes and sevens.

He’s feeling a bit squiffy, and I think your shoes are in danger of getting covered in this afternoon’s McDonalds.

Fuck it, it’s Alex Turner.

The video seems pretty apt for the song, a tale of teenage-angst-ish lust, booty calls all told with sultry trademark AM charm. OK, so Turner is nothing but charming in this portrayal, as he goes hankering for a cheeky late night shag. Alex in his somewhat ‘lovelorn’ state mutters, “left you multiple missed calls / and to my message you reply / why’d you only call me when you’re high? / why’d you only call me when you’re high?”

‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High’ and ‘Do I Wanna Know’ have set the tone though for the upcoming record. It’s already showing the angle that the boys are going for, carrying on down the post-‘Humbug’ strand that the band have taken since their frenetic debut and equally popular follow-up. It’s still playing on the classic AM themes, of youthful angst, telling it like it is and they’ve done it again quite brilliantly.

And let’s be honest, a walk home with a classlessly inebriated Turner, soundtracked by this tune, is better than most post-night out trudges.

9/10

This single is available now digitally, but a 7″ of the single will be released on the 2nd of September with an exclusive b-side, new track ‘Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You’.