#humbug alex appreciation

[avocadoluv]

Alex Turner appreciation posts 🎀

[daddy-long-legssss]

[littlemissthunderstorms]

dream report

sub humbug alex x soft/rough(ish) dom reader

synopsis: tending to alex after he has a particular dream

based off of this request, (much appreciated, thank you for sharing your ideas!! ❤️)

i’ve been a bit too obsessed with humbug alex recently, he’s just so fuckable kissable. on that note, enjoy!

———

about 20 minutes ago, you’d woken up for no apparent reason. you figured you’d drift back into your previous ever so peaceful slumber, but you were wrong.

so now, very much annoyed at your minds inability to fall back asleep, you stared at the wall, mindlessly observing how the moonlight ever so slightly lit up the back of the curtains, the drapes allowing the softest light to mix amongst the darkness the room withheld.

whilst lost in various, mundane thoughts, you sensed your lover shuffling a bit beside you. you turned over to watch him, deciding he was a prettier sight than the wall. his long brown hair splayed across the pillow, curls mussed from sleep. you smiled softly, ever so tenderly tucking a strand away from his face, careful not to wake him.

as you gazed at him, you noticed his lips parting in a small whimper, a sound much too similar to the ones he made when you were intimate. his soft whimpers continued, his hips shuffling a bit under the blankets.

at first, you assumed he must be having some sort of nightmare, but you were proved wrong when a rather loud moan escaped his mouth, followed by a mumble slash whisper that conveyed something along the lines of ‘holy fuck.’

you tried to conceal your laugh but failed, giggling enough for him to jolt awake. you immediately felt bad for waking him, mumbling “shit, sorry.”

alex looked up at you with his sleepy, hazy brown eyes and you leaned forward to kiss his cheek. you adored him like this, all sleepy and soft. “fun dream eh?” you teased. alex’s cheeks flushed a hot red, the comment snapping him out of his half-asleep, half-awake state.

he looked at you, puzzled. “how the fuck do you know?”

you smirked. “because i heard you.”

he covered his face with his hands at your response and you grabbed his wrists in return, sitting up and holding his wrists so they lay on either side of his head. “don’t be embarrassed, it was cute.” he blushed again as you leaned down to press a soft kiss to the corner of his open mouth, sitting up some more so you were now straddling him.

“tell me…. what was it about?” you whispered, evoking chills down his neck. he gulped, trying to regain composure. he didn’t know where to start. the dream was more so in glimpses and flashes, not a fluid scene but god, it did something to him. it was the sort of dream that would loop round’ his mind all day, giving him butterflies every time the images flashed across his mind.

“i- i don’t really know, but um…” he suddenly got a bit shy, breaking eye contact momentarily before he continued. “you were fucking me in the studio,” he flustered, biting the inside of his cheek.

you grinned. “yeah baby? did you like it?”

he nodded, eyes glazing over with need as he gazed up at you, his hips shifting a bit. you leaned in, soft hands cradling his sleepy face as you kissed him with a certain fervor, your tongue sliding against his. he whimpered softly into your mouth, provoking a eager smile from you.

once pulling away from the kiss, you rolled off of him and back over to your side of the bed. “welp, goodnight,” you smiled innocently.

alex looked wildly offended and you couldn’t help but chuckle. “you okay?” you teased, pretending to be confused.

he grabbed your arm. “you can’t just do that to me.” you knitted your brows. “what?” he sighed. “you can’t just kiss me like that after i had a dream about you fucking me and then go back to sleep.”

you sat up, bringing one hand up to tuck a loose strand out of his face, and then intertwining your fingers in the back of his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp. “oh alexander, tell me what you want then, hm? use your words.”

his hands traveled just under the hem of your shirt, his fingers pressing into your warm skin. “please, fuck me momma.” he kissed your cheek.

heat flooded to your core at the nickname, and you smirked. “since you asked so nicely.” without warning you positioned yourself so you were on his lap, then pushing him down so he lay flat on the mattress. you took his hands, interlocking your fingers as you pinned his wrists on either side of his head once more.

you nuzzled your face into his neck, pressing slow, sweet kisses that quickly turned into small bites and licks. he was immediately a whimpering mess under you, his hips wriggling as he panted.

you made your way down to his collarbone, which was partly exposed from the large shirt he wore to sleep. you continued to build him up, leaving hickeys and kisses along his shoulders.

eventually, you were pushing his t shirt up, nuzzling your nose into his stomach and pressing soft kisses to it. you grinned at the way his stomach rose and fell in tandem with his shaky breaths.

looking up at him with glazy eyes, you trailed your open mouth down his lower stomach, admiring the way his soft hair framed his face, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. you pulled alex’s tight boxers down, revealing his almost painful erection.

you barely touched him, taking delight in watching him squirm as you kitten licked the pre cum off his tip. “oh fuck…” he tipped his head back, quickly positioning to look at you once again.

looking up at him, you let a thick strand of drool fall from your open mouth, dribbling down his length. “please, please touch me,” the boy hissed.

you planted a soft kiss on the tip, smiling up at him. “shh shh, keep quiet now, don’t fuss,” you taunted. deciding you’d teased him enough for now, you wrapped your hand around his base, pumping up and down as you sucked his tip into your mouth.

the noises that left his mouth had you squeezing your thighs together, arousal sure to have your underwear soaked by the end of this. savoring the noises he made, you slowly started taking more of him in your mouth, drool coating his length.

alex tangled his fingers in your hair, bucking his hips up as to fuck into your mouth. almost immediately you pulled away, evoking a strangled moan from the boys lips. you sat up, moving to now straddle him again, hovering over his stomach, leaving his cock aching and unattended.

“who’s in control baby? tell me,” you demanded, eyes harsh. alex gazed up at you, immediately regretting his actions. he stuttered, not being able to form coherent words. you grabbed his hair and pulled rather hard, a sharp gasp escaping his lips. “what’s that honey? speak up.”

he whimpered. “you momma, y- you’re in charge m’ sorry.” his eyes teared up a bit and you kissed his cheek, soothingly rubbing his arm. “atta boy, don’t let it happen again.” he nodded quickly, hands gripping your waist.

deciding he didn’t deserve your mouth anymore, you shuffled a bit so you were now hovering over his cock, one hand resting on his lower stomach. he was aching, begging for you to touch him. if he really wanted to, he could angle his hips as to rub against your thigh. that would relieve some of the ache surely, but nevertheless, he wanted to be good for you so he instead gripped the sheets, trying his best to ignore the impulse.

you pushed your underwear down your thighs, kicking them off. you then instructed alex to remove his shirt. he did so immediately, as did you. alex’s gaze fell to your cunt, licking his lips at the way arousal dripped down your inner thighs.

equally eager, you positioned his tip against your entrance, hissing as you sunk down, his thick cock stretching you out so perfectly. you bit your lip, the slight sting from how big he was taking a moment to fade away. heat flooded through your lower stomach as you moaned, alex now fully inside you.

you leaned forward, one hand on the mattress as to hold you up as the other cradled alex’s face. you leaned your forehead against his, soft breaths fanning across your cheek as he whimpered and panted.

“i love you,” he gasped as you rose up and sunk down on him again. you smiled, kissing his nose. “i love you too.” you kissed the corners of his mouth as your hips met his repeatedly, drinking up his little whimpers and gasps.

as much as you liked to be rough when you were in charge, you couldn’t help getting all lovey and sweet with him. the way his doe eyes looked up at you, all gentle and soft had you kissing his face, cradling his cheeks, and nuzzling your face in his neck. you’d give him the world.

his eyes squeezed shut and then languidly fought to open again as you had picked up the pace. your thighs began to grow weak with pleasure, your soft moans and sighs frequently getting louder.

“good boy, letting me fuck him so good, that feel good baby?” you rasped, knowing how much your dirty talk turned him on. he moaned, his nails scratching down your back as he frantically nodded. “yes momma- fuck so good.”

you were impossibly wet, for your arousal had dripped down his length and onto his inner thighs. you repositioned your hips a bit, your face quickly falling into the crook of his damp neck, his cock ever so deliciously stroking your walls in all the right places.

“f-fuck, i’m close mommy,” he gasped, his hands grasping at your back and shoulders, nose pressing into the side of your hair. you pulled back, positioning your mouth over his. you were a bit surprised from how quick it’d taken you both to get close. “me too, cum with me sweetheart.”

and with that, you kissed him, riding him a bit harder than before as your hips started to falter. you slightly bit his plump bottom lip, starting to feel the coil of pleasure build up in your stomach.

“fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck,” he hissed, nails digging deep into your back and scratching as he came, the pain from the scratches and the feeling of his hot release coating your walls sending you over the edge.

you clenched around him at the mere intensity of your orgasm, yelping his name as you rode out your high. once you started to come down, you nearly collapsed onto alex from how tired your arms and legs were.

he chuckled a bit, helping you off of him. once you were now laying down on your side, he nuzzled into you. you brought your arm up to hold his head as he tucked his face into your breasts, his nose grazing the side of your boob. you laughed softly. “you alright baby boy?”

he nodded, still panting. you knew he usually needed a couple of minutes to fully come back, so you cuddled him close, soothingly running your fingers through his damp brown curls, occasionally kissing the corners of his mouth.

moving him off of you a bit, you quickly threw on his shirt and grabbed the glass of water from your nightstand, helping him sit up and take a few sips. he smiled at you sleepily, eyes reflecting shimmery stars as you kissed his cheek, reveling in his musky scent.

“that was.. wow,” he finally mumbled, coming out of his hazy state. you flashed him a sweet smile. “i’m glad i could make you feel good.” you pulled him into your arms again, rubbing his back.

“im sorry about your back, it must sting,” he whispered, referring to the way his nails dug deep into your back when he came. you shook it off. “s’ okay baby, means i fucked you good.” it did sting, but you truly didn’t mind, it was the kind of pain you were proud of, symbolizing how good you were at making your boyfriend cum.

he grinned, yawning. you kissed him once more. “lets get some sleep alright? you’ve gotta go to the studio pretty early tomorrow.”

he groaned. “you aren’t coming with? we can fuck in the bathroom, just like in my dream.” you rolled your eyes, laughing. “sounds tempting. i’ll consider it.”

he chuckled, kissing your cheek before wrapping his arm around your middle. you closed your heavy eyes, reveling in the way the soft bed embraced your sore limbs so comfortably. your lover was happy and content in your arms, the moonlight still glittered through the curtains, and everything was so blissful, so tranquil.

alex’s soft breaths against your cheek elicited a sweet hint of a smile from your lips before you slipped into a peaceful, much needed slumber.

———

hope you enjoyed!! im so sleepy i’ll proofread this and make some edits tomorrow

p.s. i like to imagine he starting crafting dangerous animals the next day in the studio

taglist (let me know if you want to be added/removed)- @ultragirrl @inmyownfantasywrld @almluv @raven-ql @ohladymoon @yourstartreatment @missbabyjay @andulina567 @blair-s-world @rentsturner @indierockgirrl @kittyrob0t

[bedforddanes75]

intro :3

▪︎ tws

[ i have three sideblogs, @baah-humbug for anything related to alex turner (because duh) @sleepywithmywife for pretty things, and @spawck for my nerd stuff !!! ]

▪︎ my posts r mainly about the 1975, ethel cain, charli xcx, just music stuff really

▪︎ i'm george hai i use he/him

▪︎ based in the uk 🙂‍↕

▪︎ feel free to block the tag 'not 75 stuff' if you don't want to see shitposting

▪︎ george daniel enthusiast (like it's BAD)

[ TAGS ]

▪︎ blah blah! - speaking

▪︎ not 75 stuff - take a wild guess

▪︎ asks - asks

▪︎ mewtuals - beloved friends

▪︎ deus cowboys - my fic deus in absentia 😁

▪︎ deus dynamics - things relating to deus in absentia in terms of the characters 😁

▪︎ pulling ypur face close - .....more gatty........unposted as of now tho 😞

▪︎ pull you close and tangle up with you real tight - another fic LMFAO girl sorry. pure smut

▪︎ too much is never enough - um...fic...filth...okay...

▪︎ my quotes tag - quotes i like, and am posting

▪︎ BELOVEDS - just things i really like that make me happy !!!!!

▪︎ save for later - hmm i wonder what this could possibly mean

(posted) fics

deus in absentia - here, it's my beloved cowboys!!!!! religion and stuff, and very incredibly unbelievably gay, will be 18+ at some point but like it isn't Yet so. in progress, too, so don't get your hopes up. i will finish it, though, promise.

who knows how much longer i'll lay on the floor - here, angst or whatever.....

104 degrees - here, like pure happiness and joy and i'm not sure whether i hate it or not . whatever . also a songfic

pull you close and tangle up with you real tight - here, actual filth like FILTH they FUCK and it's very 18+ minors please no no no no no. um. that's it as of now

zios, fucking block me, or i'll block you, you have no place here

here is my ao3, would appreciate kudos 😞😞 maybe it sucks, but, like, that's just...not something i'm gonna talk about x

pls don't hesitate to dm me! promise i'm nice!!!!!!!!!

minors, i'd prefer it if you didnt interact, but, honestly, i do not gaf, it's just your problem if you see me writing about some guy getting railed. keep yourselves safe, but it's your choice

[glorious-blackout]

I do have a Spotify! I also have a five-hour journey home tomorrow so the music recommendations are highly appreciated 😁

As for later Arctic Monkeys recs, it’s hard to narrow down songs I love on TBHC and The Car but I’ll try my best! I suspect you might like AM more than I do as well - the only song I really love from it is Fireside but the album is beloved by the fandom so it might appeal to you more 😅

From TBHC I can highly recommend the singles Four Out Of Five and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (including the videos, which are so intriguing I’m still upset they only made two), alongside The Ultracheese, One Point Perspective and American Sports.

For The Car my favourites are Sculptures of Anything Goes, The Car, Hello You, Mr Schwartz and Perfect Sense. That being said, I genuinely love every song on that album - the lush, cinematic orchestrations alone make it my joint fave alongside TBHC 🥰

As a bonus I can recommend some TLSP songs seeing as Alex’s work with Miles seems to have helped inspire AM’s latter catalogue: The Age of the Understatement, The Meeting Place, Black Paint, Aviation, Miracle Aligner, Is This What You Wanted and Les Cactus (the latter is very silly which is why I love it so much 😉). 

@glorious-blackout The Mysterines are amazing! They're a brand new band from Liverpool, but you'd never know it by listening to them. They were a fave on my show when their album was coming out last year - debut album, and I had no idea until I properly looked into it because they sound so well done and well produced! They're a proper rock band :)

You would hardly guess that this was a first-EP song, would you?

Inhaler... I might not have recommended them a year ago, they were putting out fairly standard indie rock/pop in 2021... I think they were the first Irish band in a long time to top the UK album charts? With a debut album too! It was good stuff, but nothing new I guess. Their second album is on its way, and now I actually think the new stuff is worth checking out! (This is Bono from U2's son's band, and they were straying... a bit too close to U2 territory, but they're really finding their own sound now!) They're putting out some really playful indie pop; they want to be a pop band now, that's great, good for them!

(the new album's called Cuts And Bruises, I plan to sit and listen to it! I'm only speaking from having heard the singles released ahead of the album right now 😅)

Hives have been around for a while I think! I just never really listened to them 😅

[undeserved-halo]

can we just appreciate that alex taught us what letter dangerous began with in fwn then taught us how to spell the whole word AND how to spell animals in humbug<3

[tilebytiles]

alright look guys i would really appreciate it if you’d stop posting pics of my gf humbug alex. she’s rly shy and i don’t want her to get overwhelmed ……

[faithinlouisfuture]

I don't know if somebody else asked this before, but how did you become an Arctic monkeys fan? What was your first AM album? I love hearing stories of people and their interests so if you would be so kind— thanks! ♥️

omg hiiii! I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me about AM before and I love rambling so here goes!

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor is not just a song to me, it is a vital part of my personality! I have countless core memories attached to that song - to this day whenever I listen to it, it transports me back to a particular (much more carefree) time in my life and *goosebumps*

So yeah all the way then was when my love for AM and Alex started - I can’t say that I religiously listened to every single album that came out, definitely had phases of dipping in and out and tracks from albums that I listened to way more than others (like Teddy Picker, 505 and Do Me a Favor for FWN and Dangerous Animals, Cornerstone and Potion Approaching for Humbug), I was completely non present for Suck it and See era, and then AM I was back in again full throttle (predictable I know 💀), still couldn’t name a favourite from AM if I had to (it’s Arabella). Kind of dipped again for TBCH but I can appreciate some of the tracks listening to them now, and now back obsessing a little for The Car era (Sculptures gives me life and Body Paint).

So yeah it’s been a rollercoaster for sure. I’d still consider myself a casual fan (that’s in comparison to my status of being a louie first and a human second but then again nothing or no one has overtaken my whole entire personality the way Louis has so I don’t know if that’s a fair comparison). Would love for you to come back and tell me your story too! x

[kunikisss]

counterattack question.top 5 favorite arctic monkeys songs

HELLO 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🔥🔥🔥

this is gonna get long im gonna have to cut the post. 🫨

first of all. i’m so sorry for not responding earlier dude idk why i took this long tbh.

partially probs cos it was hard to pick out a top FIVE like top 10 i might be able to do more easily but this felt like i was betraying some songs lmaoo

but thank you so much for asking‼️‼️:D this gave me a reason to yap and i appreciate it v much!!!!!! yeah im going into detail. yeaahh😈😈😈

- 7

i dont think i’ve ever. read the actual lyrics of this one and i don’t think i understand all of it js from listening. i realize this now. BUT WHAT MATTERS IS THAT THE INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS GOES HARD BROO. ive watched guitar covers of it SO MANY TIMES they never disappoint. its the first song i wanna learn on guitar if i get one hhjhhhhrrkrhhrhhhh

- teddy picker

i remember hearing this one when i was still a wee ignorant child. (around a year ago) and a FAKE arctic monkeys fan. i used to only listen to AM... yeah.. i know.... stumbles back from the tomatos that were just thrown at me.. but anyways spotify would be like ‘youll probably enjoy this 😏’ & sprinkle in some other songs when i’d listen to am on my way to school & i heard teddy picker a couple of times and it just stuck as one of my forever faves. i was like woah this sounds soo different from how they usually- BECAUSE U ONLY LISTENED TO ONE ALBUM anyways

- arabella

arabella. 😭😭😭😭 my BABY!!! the song that made me fall in love w/ am. i heard it in a um. leon kennedy edit? that a classmate showed me and didn’t pay it much mind, but then. once it just got STUCK in my head and i remember humming it while showering and i was like wtf.. what is this song what.. and then i REMEMBERED & shazamed that motherfucker and listened to arabella on repeat forever and ever. HAVE YOU HEARD THAT BRIDGE???? GAWD DAMNNN

it holds a special place in my heart <3

- cigarette smoke (yeag.. i prefer the demo over the actual thing.. bc im just cool like that.. heh)

yeah i. idk man💥 nope i lied i actually do. i love it so much because it (along w/ the rest of beneath the boardwalk) is rough around the edges, raw and u could say. childish? the snorting coke off a stripper’s thigh line? edgy teen typa shit i LOVE IT. and at the end alex like. growls basically and it sounds so satisfying to me for some reason LMAOO

- potion approaching

okay so i made this 3.5hr am playlist when i got like OBSESSED obsessed with them in the beginning of this year’s March and for some reason i DIDN’T add potion approaching & some other songs i absolutely adore now?? i listened to them again about a month ago and i realized how STUPID i was for not liking them and flash forward to now i’m legally married to this song !!♡ (again. the instrumental FUCKS omfg it’s so good)

and ofc.. honorable mentions (there’s gonna be a lot): catapult, when the sun goes down, fake tales of san francisco, brianstorm, balaclava, science fiction, she looks like fun, wavin’ bye to the train or the bus, temptation greets you like your naughty friend, leave before the lights come on. ALL OF HUMBUG.

i hope this doesn’t feel like im forcing you to listen to these LMAO

again, tysm for asking & i’m sorry for taking this long !!

[beat-me-to-the-trashcan]

[thaknows]

Alex and Alexa at All Points West Festival in 2009

[rawgreenbeans]

my mother looked at the lyrics for The Jeweller’s Hands for the first time tonight and said “Alex is such a poet, if only I could understand his accent” and honestly mood

[maraskolnikova]

Unpopular opinion but

“Humbug” is my favourite Arctic Monkeys album AND my favourite Alex Turner phase, looks-wise.

[humbugg]

you might not want any of tbhc on the new setlists but EYE wanna hear she looks like fun while on copious amounts of drugs, as its meant to be heard

[mrschwartz]

Alex Turner on the Arctic Monkeys' musical evolution

By Mark Savage (published on October 22 2022)

Alex Turner is out of breath.

The Arctic Monkeys frontman has just blazed through a guitar solo on Body Paint - the swaggering, Bowie-esque centrepiece of their new album, The Car - on TV institution Later with Jools Holland.

"You've parched me out there," he pants. "Could someone get me a water?"

Unusually, the Arctics are the only band in the studio. For the first time in 15 years, the show is devoting an entire episode to a single act - an honour reserved for rock legends like REM, Radiohead, Metallica and Oasis.

Turner and his band-mates appreciate the enormity of the situation. They film additional takes and switch up their setlist to ensure the new music is conveyed with appropriate punch and panache.

"Gotta make this one count," says Turner as the recording runs into its second hour. "We'll do an acoustic one, and then Born To Run."

The promised Springsteen cover never materialises. Nor does the band's hellraising 2007 hit Brianstorm, despite guitarist Jamie Cook idly bashing out the riff between takes. But, with almost twice as much Monkey business as they'd bargained for, the audience leaves on a high.

"I enjoyed it a great deal," agrees Turner, on the phone to the BBC a couple of days later. "I'm a big fan of that show and I have been for a long time, even before we put the band together."

In fact, his highlight in the run-up to the show was getting access to the Later vaults, to pick a performance that influenced him for broadcast on the show.

"I kind of lost myself in the archive back there for a minute, Mark, to be honest with you," he says. "I found myself gravitating to performances from 2002 and going, 'Oh God, yeah, I remember seeing that and getting excited about it.'"

Of course, 2002 is the year the Arctic Monkeys formed in Sheffield, where all four members were pupils of Stocksbridge High School.

Turner and guitarist Jamie Cook had only received their first guitars a year earlier, as Christmas presents from their parents. The first song they wrote was called "Matt Dave Rock Song" - named for a singer who subsequently left the band, and which they subsequently described as "junk" and "total crap".

But they progressed at speed, developing a sharp, nervy sound full of searing riffs and witty, literate lyrics. By 2005, people were eagerly swapping bootlegs, demos and gossip on dedicated message boards.

When their first album, Whatever People I Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, arrived in 2006 it became the UK's fastest-selling debut of all time, just weeks after Turner's 20th birthday.

Arctic Monkeys were suddenly the most written-about, talked-about rock band of their generation.

They responded by closing ranks.

Back-slapping events like the Brit Awards were avoided, the band accepting prizes in mailed-in videos, dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz. When they played Radio 1's Live Lounge, they subverted their "rock saviour" image by covering Katy B's On A Mission and Girls Aloud's Love Machine.

"I can't really remember the impetus behind that decision," reflects Turner, "but it was a lot of fun".

Musically, Arctic Monkeys went from strength to strength, particularly on the hard-hitting Humbug (2009) and the leather-jacketed rock of AM (2013).

They last graced the charts in 2018 with the space-jazz concept album Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino, which explored themes of consumerism and politics through the concept of a luxury resort on the moon.

Turner composed its languid, meandering songs on piano, declaring the guitar "had lost its ability to give me ideas".

Critics were divided. Rolling Stone called the album "indulgent", but Q Magazine thought it was "strange and wonderful". Fans sent the album to number one, but it's the only Arctic Monkeys record not to be certified platinum.

Released on Friday, The Car is tighter and more immediate than its predecessor but it spins in the same sonic universe.

Opening track There'd Better Be A Mirror Ball is all woozy keyboards and staccato string stabs, while Jet Skis On The Moat sees Turner slip on his velvet jacket for a brooding lounge-pop ballad.

"I made a big deal about the piano on the last record," says the singer, "but when I look at it now, the shift in sound between that record and the one before [AM] is more to do with the fact that my writing process [changed] around that time".

In the Arctic Monkeys' first decade, he explains, he'd take a song "into a rehearsal room and work out how it goes with the band". That's gradually become more insular, with Turner building up songs in his home studio until he feels they're ready.

"So the piano had a part in it, but being able to record myself and write to those recordings is perhaps what got us into this mess."

That's not the only thing that's changed.

"I can vaguely remember times in the past where I've been struck with the inspiration and written something quite quickly, but it feels like that happens less these days," he says. "But I'm not worried if it takes a little bit longer."

In fact, some of the musical motifs on The Car percolated for three years before he "persuaded them to be a pop song".

Among them was the instrumental refrain of Big Ideas, a gorgeous electric piano melody that "felt like it had aspirations to be a movie theme".

"It hung around for ages, that melody, and I'd play it whenever I found myself sitting at a piano [until] one of the band asked, 'Is that one of yours?'

"And that's about as excited as they get," he jokes.

Their enthusiasm encouraged him to build the passage into a song that describes a songwriter's (favourite) worst nightmare.

"I had big ideas... the kind you'd rather not share over the phone," Turner sings. "But now the orchestra's got us all surrounded and I can't for the life of me remember how they go."

It's one of many lyrics that hint at instability and dislocation.

The music, meanwhile, reflects his emotional turbulence. The band often sound like they're fighting to be heard - bursting through an orchestral swell to gasp for air, only to be dragged under the surface again.

"There was much discussion and deliberation" about those "push and pull dynamics", Turner says.

Some tracks, like Sculptures, were recorded with several different arrangements, then reconstructed in the mix.

The track was born when guitarist Jamie Cook wired a Moog synthesizer up to a drum machine, creating an ominous, industrial sound. Then it "went on its own journey", evolving into a full-band recording, before the original idea reasserted itself.

On the finished version, "it's almost like there's a button for the band and you press it and they step in for a bar, then they disappear back and you're in that synthesizer place," Turner explains.

"That, of course, is not the kind of idea that I would have had before we started. That's something that revealed itself during the process.

"So I'm thrilled that you mentioned the dynamics because that's something we attempted to explore and get a handle on this time. And yeah, I think I think we did a better job in that respect, than we did last time around."

Back on stage in Alexandra Palace, Arctic Monkeys are still figuring out how to play the new material live, taking a couple of passes at the funky, sqawkbox riffs of I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am before they're satisfied.

Without a string section, the songs become harder, more full-blooded - giving an idea of how they'll nestle up to Fluorescent Adolescent and RU Mine on tour.

And while some bands (cough, Radiohead, cough) abandon their old hits when they settle on a new sound, Turner has no such inclination.

"There's certain numbers from the early records that I should think we would continue to keep playing. And there are other numbers we haven't played for a while that we could imagine knocking the dust off. "

"Nothing has been ruled out," he concludes. "Although Love Machine might be a stretch."