Matt Helders - Late Night Tales Album Review

Album review of 'Late Night Tales'compiled by Matt Helders.

Following in the footsteps of Fatboy Slim, The Flaming Lips and Groove Armada, Arctic Monkeys' drummer Matt Helders has compiled a series of tunes that he typically plays after a night out. It turns out to be more diverse than one would perhaps expect.

As a member of one of the UK's biggest rock bands, Helders' love for urban music is something of a surprise. Zeph & Azeem's 'Play The Drum' is a hip-hop/reggae hybrid, while 'Charity Shop Soundclash' from DJ Format has a British sound with a twist of jazz. The likes of Mos Def's 'Ms. Fat Booty' would keep a party vibe ticking over, while Viktor Vaughn's 'Vaudeville Villain' create a relaxed atmosphere to wind down. Most of the tracks are fairly obscure, but Helders throws in the classic 'I Got 5 On It' by Luniz, a tune of undeniable quality that had mainstream success on both sides of the Atlantic as far back as 1996.

The guitar-led selections all share the characteristic of being very laid back, be it The Stooges' 'Dirt' or The Coral's 'Grey Harpoon', which is very much built upon the band's rhythm section. The rework of club anthem 'Dreamer' by Helders, featuring Nesreen Shah, stays pretty faithful to the original though taking more of an electro sound and dropping the tempo a touch. It is very much a representation of this album - interesting, though not a necessity. The conclusive spoken word story by Alex Turner may be difficult to understand for those from outside his native Yorkshire, though those who can decipher his brogue will find 'A Choice Of Three' far from engaging.

Alex Lai