“I took off my Berghaus”: The vocal evolution of Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner
In 2011, Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner insisted, with his usual bluntness, that he wasn’t “the voice of a generation”. Up until that point, fans and media outlets had pointed to the Sheffield native as a thriving manifestation of northern playfulness, whose harmless off-hand comments became a staple of early 2000s attitudes.
Soon enough, however, his views matured, as did his singing voice, leaving many grappling with what it meant to transition from a quintessentially British indie rocker to a more accomplished singer who was now seemingly infatuated with crooning like a lounge singer.
“I’m not equipped to soundtrack the times,” Turner said in the same 2011 interview. Little did he know, however, that he would achieve exactly that on vocals alone. In fact, whether he knows it or not, Turner’s evolution of vocals says more about the UK’s attitudes towards indie rock and stereotypical raucous culture than many of us probably realise.
In the beginning, Turner, who didn’t want to be the face of the band, only stepped in so that his words had a voice, singing in an almost speaking register that unintentionally suited the entire genre. Many artists had taken this approach before, and many would follow suit, but Turner’s – and the band’s – youthfulness came to the fore in the way he delivered the lyrics.
Turner’s lyrics have always been dense with meaning, but by knowing exactly where to apply specific intonation and melodic charm, the sound of Arctic Monkeys naturally yielded cultural significance. Singing about going out and getting drunk wasn’t just a dirty act anymore. It was something to laugh at, sing about, move on, and then do it all again. It was no longer a joke between friends but a reflection of the fabric of culture itself. If it felt banal, that’s because life was full of banality.
When the singer was once asked how he feels looking back at his earlier approach compared to who he is now, he humorously quipped: “Well, I took off my Berghaus”. Though he was obviously looking back with fond amusement, Turner unintentionally played into the brash behaviours of society’s delinquents by representing them himself and being authentic in the way his voice came across in the studio.
As a result, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not came complete with Turner’s inexperienced yet endearing vocals, which croaked with childish rawness but spoke to an entire generation of coming-of-age groups who were just trying to have a bit of fun. At the same time, he spoke with credibility, journeying through different levels of narrative maturity, singing about love with a softer tone, and becoming tougher when describing the unnerving presence of scary bouncers.
This is something Turner continued to carry until Humbug. Granted, some songs on Favourite Worst Nightmare alluded to the performer’s forthcoming vocal transformation, including the delicately haunting ‘505’, but Humbug is the record that truly saw the singer step into the shoes of, well, a singer. Being produced by Josh Homme with many of the lyrics coming to Turner in the dead of night meant that the album, and Turner’s voice, took on a notably darker tone, but his entire technique seemed to change, too.
With richer, more abstract lyricism and a more controlled approach, Turner’s voice leaned into the melodic strengths of Arctic Monkeys, resulting in a more pure rock sound. ‘Cornerstone’ is perhaps the best example of this alteration as Turner sings about love, pining, and longing in an upbeat register that includes a note of humour too – he likely knows he can’t call a girl another name, but tries anyway.
While Suck It and See depicted his softer tone, both in voice and subject matter, AM was the band’s most popular moment, with their modern take on rock ‘n’ roll suddenly infiltrating the walls of towns and cities across the globe, not just reverberating around the walls of British bedrooms. Having experienced their entire discography to date, it’s easy to listen back to the album and notice the youthfulness that still lurks at the corners of Turner’s rumblings. However, suddenly, his melodies were more accessible and faster as he ventured outside of his comfort zone.
Usually, Turner sticks to a specific set of notes, refraining from singing higher than what he’s comfortable with. On certain AM tracks, however, he tested the waters by playing with various notes and melodies to give the songs added texture. The biggest transition, and the one that most fans have found discomfort with, is Turner’s approach on AM compared with their next album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.
Tranquility Base yielded a lot of controversy based on a variety of reasons, but some took issue with Turner’s vocal delivery, which arrived with less of his earlier, British-sounding appeal and adopted a more considered, echoey, lounge feel. This is the approach Turner would generally take with The Car, too, with many speculating about why his voice – and, by extension, his musical approach – has changed so drastically since the earlier glory days. For many devoted British fans, this change of style wasn’t just a denouncement of the work they’d held so dear, but of the very culture which had propelled the band i the first place. It was a bitter pill to swallow but a necessary one.
As we get older, our voices naturally change, and while time ensured Turner likely endured a similar sculpting, he also adopted an entirely different approach that suited the different facets of his ever-evolving musical direction. While creating Tranquility Base, the singer was influenced by a vast expanse of things, from Serge Gainsbourg to 1970s science fiction. As a result, the music became more ethereal-sounding, best suited to a relaxed atmosphere where there’s lots of room for existential contemplation.
If you were to ask Turner for answers, he would likely shrug or smirk, amused by the fact that you think there’s some deeper, well-established reason why his vocals have evolved since he was 17. However, his transformation has been admirable, not only because he has grown up in front of the camera but also because his talent has established him as one of the greatest songwriters of modern times.
Turner’s current vocalisation is rich with life’s textures and nuanced by an unimaginable set of life experiences, both as a ground-breaking musician and someone who knows how to captivate an audience. He has received his fair share of external criticism, but his honesty when it comes to controversy remains one of his most endearing qualities.