Sculptures of Anything Goes

Last updated
"Sculptures of Anything Goes"
Song by Arctic Monkeys
from the album The Car
Published Domino
Released
  • 21 October 2022 (2022-10-21) (album)
  • 6 March 2023 (video)
Recorded2021
Genre
Length3:59
Label Domino
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) James Ford
Music video
"Sculptures of Anything Goes" on YouTube

"Sculptures of Anything Goes" is a song by English rock band Arctic Monkeys released on 21 October 2022 by the Domino Recording Company. The song is the third track on their seventh studio album The Car (2022). It was produced by James Ford and written by lead singer Alex Turner and guitarist Jamie Cook.

Contents

Music critics noted the stylistical departure taken with "Sculptures of Anything Goes" towards a darker, and more electronic sound, in contrast to the more classical sounds found on the album. The song was compared to the late works of Portishead. The track has been nominated for Best Rock Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. It debuted at number 5 on the UK Indie Chart.

The accompanying music video was directed by Ben Chappell. The video features live recordings of the band's South American tour, interspersed with footage of Turner in different places. It was released on their YouTube channel on March 6, 2023. [1]

Background

Prior to the release of The Car, in a NPO 3FM interview Alex Turner described the track as being reminiscent of their fifth studio album AM (2013). He explained how the track reminded him of the desert-ier songs off of AM, and how it feels like there is a "bit of that dust in there." [2] According to Turner, the song came about after Jamie Cook got a Moog synthesiser and put a Drum machine through it. Following that, they wrote a song based on the sound it made. Following that Turner exclaimed:

“We wrote a song based off that, really… is the succinct answer. It started there [and then] it became a million other things. There were multiple different versions, and it ended up kind of back where it started… having had a haircut" [3]

In that same interview, drummer Matt Helders said that they were rehearsing a live version of that track, stating that it was a very fun song to play live. [3]

Composition

Musically the song has been described as having "gothic synths" [4] and "a brooding electronic beat and breathy, high vocals." [5] [6] as well as "drifting in a retro-futuristic vibe." [7] The beat was also noted as "industrial," and "dystopia-esque," being compared to Portishead's "Machine Gun" (2008). [8] The track is ominous, [2] darker, [2] and more brooding compared to the rest of the album, being the only song that, "ventures far from the Vegas strip." [4]

Lyrically, it features "cryptic verses about fakeness and truth," which have been said to be, "a regular theme in Turner’s writing," [5] combined with "a return to self-reflection." [7] Other critics found references to the public's mixed response towards the band's previous album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018). [9]

Music video

On March 6, 2023, a music video was released for the track despite having never been released as a single. [1] It was directed by Ben Chappel & edited by Matt Cronin. [10] The music video was filmed during the Australia & South American tour in promotion of The Car. [11] [12] The video has been described as having a Psych rock retro-aesthetic with grainy film footage. [13] The track also features visuals & footage of the band during live shows. [14] [15]

Accolades

The song has been nominated for Best Rock Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. [16]

Charts

Chart Performance for "Sculptures of Anything Goes"
Chart (2022)Peak
position
UK Indie (OCC) [17] 5
UK Streaming (OCC) [18] 56
IFPI Digital Singles Chart [19] 75
Ireland (IRMA) [20] 32

Personnel

Arctic Monkeys [21]

Additional personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic Monkeys</span> English rock band

Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield on 14 August 2002. The group consists of lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley. Former bassist Andy Nicholson left the band in 2006 shortly after their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Turner</span> British musician (born 1986)

Alexander David Turner is an English musician who is the frontman and lead singer of the rock band Arctic Monkeys. Turner is known for his lyricism ranging from kitchen sink realism to surrealist wordplay, which has been praised by music critics and the public. All but one of Turner's studio albums have topped the UK Albums Chart. He has won seven Brit Awards, an Ivor Novello Award, and a Mercury Prize among other accolades.

<i>Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not</i> 2006 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

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 in the United Kingdom and on 21 February 2006 in the United States by Domino Recording Company. Preceded by the chart-topping singles "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "When the Sun Goes Down", the album also contains re-recorded versions of both tracks from the band's debut EP, Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys (2005). It is the only Arctic Monkeys album to feature bassist Andy Nicholson, as he left the band shortly after the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brianstorm</span> 2007 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Brianstorm" is a song by the English rock band Arctic Monkeys. It is the opening track on their second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare. The song was released as the first single from the album on 2 April 2007, debuting at number 21 in the UK Singles Chart via downloads alone. The single was released in physical formats on 16 April, the week before the release of the album, and charted at number two on the UK Singles Chart behind Beyoncé and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar". In Scotland, the song became the band's fourth consecutive number-one single on the Scottish Singles Chart. "Brianstorm" is one of the band's most successful singles worldwide, reaching number four in Denmark, number seven in Ireland, and number 10 in Spain. It came in at number 62 on MTV Asia's list of Top 100 Hits of 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Last Shadow Puppets</span> English band

The Last Shadow Puppets are an English supergroup consisting of Alex Turner, Miles Kane, James Ford, and Zach Dawes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles Kane</span> English musician

Miles Peter Kane is an English singer and musician, best known as a solo artist and the co-frontman of the Last Shadow Puppets. He was also the former frontman of the Rascals, before the band announced their break-up in August 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornerstone (song)</span> 2009 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Cornerstone" is a song by the English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, released as the second single from their third album Humbug. It was released on 16 November 2009. Like the previous single "Crying Lightning", the vinyl was made available in Oxfam shops. Alex Turner told Uncut magazine that he wrote this song, "one morning, quite quickly." He added: "There's something to be said for writing in the morning. At other points in the day you're a bit more defensive. I saw it as a challenge to write something in a major key, but that wasn't cheesy." It was originally written in the key of A major. In October 2013, it was sampled by the rapper Dom Kennedy for the song "Pleeze" on his album Get Home Safely.

<i>Suck It and See</i> 2011 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

Suck It and See is the fourth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 6 June 2011 by Domino Recording Company. The album's songs were written by frontman Alex Turner in 2010 on an acoustic guitar in his, at the time, Brooklyn home. It was produced in Los Angeles at Sound City Studios by the band's longtime collaborator James Ford in early 2011, using mostly live takes opposed to overdubbing. The album's title, a British phrase meaning "give it a try", was viewed as provocative in the United States due to being misinterpreted as referencing fellatio, and was subsequently censored in some locations. The artwork features the album title in black over a cream colored background.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair</span> 2011 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair" is a song by the English rock band Arctic Monkeys, from their 2011 album Suck It and See.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suck It and See (song)</span> 2011 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Suck It and See" is a song by English band Arctic Monkeys. It was released on 31 October 2011 by Domino Recording Company as the third single and title track of their fourth studio album Suck It and See. Produced by James Ford and written by Alex Turner it was recorded at Sound City, Los Angeles in early 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Treacle</span> 2012 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Black Treacle" is a song by the English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, released as the fourth single from their fourth studio album Suck It and See and was released as a digital download and a 7" vinyl on 23 January 2012. The single was limited to only 1,500 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R U Mine?</span> 2012 single by Arctic Monkeys

"R U Mine?" is a song by the English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It features lyrics written by frontman Alex Turner, as well as music composed by the entire band. The song was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2012 and was released physically for the Record Store Day on 21 April 2012 on a limited edition double A-side purple 7" vinyl along with new song "Electricity". The vinyl was limited to a run of only 1,750 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do I Wanna Know?</span> 2013 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Do I Wanna Know?" is a song by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, with lyrics written by frontman Alex Turner. It was released on 19 June 2013 by Domino Recording Company as the second single from their fifth studio album, AM (2013). It received a digital download release through iTunes as well as an accompanying music video. Before its release as a single, the song was premiered by the band live in May 2013 on the AM Tour, where it was often played as the opening number. It is an indie rock, psychedelic rock, stoner rock, blues rock and alternative rock song, and is built around a stomping guitar riff.

<i>AM</i> (Arctic Monkeys album) 2013 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

AM is the fifth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was produced by longtime collaborator James Ford and co-produced by Ross Orton at Sage & Sound Recording in Los Angeles and Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, California, and released on 9 September 2013 through Domino Recording Company. The album was promoted by the singles "R U Mine?", "Do I Wanna Know?", "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?", "One for the Road", "Arabella", and "Snap Out of It". It features guest appearances by Josh Homme, Bill Ryder-Jones, and Pete Thomas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One for the Road (song)</span> 2013 single by Arctic Monkeys

"One for the Road" is a song by English band Arctic Monkeys from their fifth studio album, AM. It was released on 9 December 2013 as the fourth single from the album. The single is available in the 7" vinyl format, and as a digital download, and features a B-side titled "You're So Dark". On 6 December 2013, Arctic Monkeys released the B-side's official audio track onto YouTube.

<i>Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino</i> 2018 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is the sixth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 11 May 2018 by Domino Recording Company. The album was written by frontman Alex Turner in 2016 on a Steinway Vertegrand 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, James Righton, Zach Dawes, Tyler Parkford and Cam Avery. Turner designed the album artwork himself, which depicts the eponymous resort with cardboard cut-outs and a tape recorder. Its title refers to Tranquility Base, the site of the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing.

<i>The Car</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

The Car is the seventh studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 21 October 2022 by Domino Recording Company. The album's songs were primarily written by frontman Alex Turner in his Los Angeles home and Paris. It was produced in Suffolk, Paris and London by frequent Arctic Monkeys collaborator James Ford, alongside frequent guest musicians Tom Rowley, Loren Humphrey and Tyler Parkford, and arranged by Bridget Samuels, Ford, and Turner. Drummer Matt Helders took the picture on the album cover, which depicts a white Toyota Camry in an otherwise empty parking garage on a Los Angeles rooftop. Its title refers to said cover and the abundance of vehicular references in the lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There'd Better Be a Mirrorball</span> 2022 single by Arctic Monkeys

"There'd Better Be a Mirrorball" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys released on 29 August 2022, through Domino Recording Company. The song was included on their seventh studio album The Car (2022). Written by lead singer Alex Turner and produced by James Ford, "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball" is a traditional pop and jazz track. While composing it, Turner thought the song felt like the start of the record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Body Paint (song)</span> 2022 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Body Paint" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys released on 29 September 2022, through Domino Recording Company. The song was included as the second single on their seventh studio album The Car. Written by lead singer Alex Turner and produced by James Ford, "Body Paint" is a baroque pop, orchestral pop, and art rock track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Car Tour</span> 2022–23 concert tour by Arctic Monkeys

The Car Tour was the seventh headlining concert tour by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, launched in support of their seventh studio album, The Car (2022). The tour began on 9 August 2022 in Istanbul at Zorlu PSM, and concluded on 19 October 2023 in Dublin at 3Arena, visiting North America, South America, Oceania and Eurasia. This marks their first tour since Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Tour (2018–2019), and features the band, alongside usual touring members, Scott Gillies, Tom Rowley, Davey Latter, and Tyler Parkford.

References

  1. 1 2 Singh, Surej (6 March 2023). "Arctic Monkeys share captivating music video for 'Sculptures Of Anything Goes'". NME. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Skinner, Tom (13 October 2022). "Arctic Monkeys say new song 'Sculptures Of Anything Goes' is reminiscent of 'AM' sound". NME. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 Arctic Monkeys over The Car en hun geheime Spotify-playlist | 3FM Exclusive | NPO 3FM , retrieved 2023-04-01
  4. 1 2 "Alex Turner's persona gives Arctic Monkeys' The Car its charm - review". The Independent. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  5. 1 2 Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (18 October 2022). "'Arctic Monkeys' The Car album review — a stylish, plush affair". Financial Times . Archived from the original on 18 October 2022.
  6. ↑ Barton, Laura (18 October 2022). "Arctic Monkeys: The Car review – aching songs of soured dreams". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  7. 1 2 Whittle, Nathan (19 October 2022). "Arctic Monkeys - The Car". Louder Than War .
  8. ↑ Richards, Sam (December 2022). "Arctic Monkeys - The Car". Uncut . No. 307. p. 24.
  9. ↑ Smith, Thomas (18 October 2022). "Arctic Monkeys – 'The Car' review: a swashbuckling, strings-fuelled epic". NME .
  10. ↑ "Arctic Monkeys Shares Captivating Video for Song "Sculptures Of Anything Goes" -". mxdwn Music. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Rockpit, The (13 March 2023). "ARCTIC MONKEYS Release "Sculptures Of Anything Goes" Video". The Rockpit. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "Watch Arctic Monkeys' New Video for "Sculpture of Anything Goes"". Pitchfork. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  13. ↑ Jones, Abby (6 March 2023). "Arctic Monkeys share retro "Sculptures of Anything Goes" video: Watch". Consequence. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  14. ↑ "Arctic Monkeys Share The 'Sculptures Of Anything Goes' Music Video". UPROXX. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  15. ↑ "Arctic Monkeys - Sculptures Of Anything Goes (Official Video)". YouTube . Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  16. ↑ "2024 Grammy Nominations: See The Full Nominees List". The Recording Academy . 10 November 2023. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  18. ↑ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  19. ↑ "Charts". 2022-11-02. Archived from the original on 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  20. ↑ "irishcharts.com - Arctic Monkeys - Sculptures Of Anything Goes". irish-charts.com. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  21. ↑ "Uncut December 2022 Music Review". October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.