Textual Analysis- Arctic monkeys ‘favourite worst nightmare’.
By Millie Iron
‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ •
The Second studio album released by the Indie Rock band Arctic Monkeys. • Released in 2007 •
Recorded in East London by producers James Ford and Mike Crossey.
Front Cover
Photography: The photograph looks as though it was taken with a disposable camera or something of low quality. This emphasizes the socially realist and originality of the genre and that it differs from the pristine and colorful nature of other mainstream genres. Location: The photograph looks as though it was taken on an everyday , terraced, urban or council estate. Therefore the audience can relate to the genre as thus are encouraged to listen to music that reflects realism and is concerned with problems that they may of encountered. It also looks as though the houses are desolate, isolated and empty. This links to the motif that often runs through the Indie Rock of Isolation.
Front cOVER
Location: Because the cover consists of an urban looking street it almost looks as though it was taken in London. This relates to the origins of the Indie Rock Genre in the 70’s and 80’s. The construction itself looks as though the estate is of 70’s or 80’s origins too. Filter: A dark, grainy looking filter has been placed on the photograph. This emphasizes the already muted and dull colour of the photograph which has evidently been taken on a cloudy day in the late evening. This could reflect the controversial yet realistic storylines that the genre delves in to.
Front Cover
Super Imposition: The only editing on top of the photograph is the colorful pattern in one of the houses window. It almost looks like a a 60’s hippie pattern, perhaps signifying originality and quirkiness that also stems from the genre. It may embody the band as unique and different from other artists, hence why the house is the only one with any colour on. Juxtaposition: The contrast of the dark, grainy estate with the random imposition of bright swirls and spirals not only links to the bands independence but also to the title, as explained in the next slide.
Front Cover
Title: The actual words ‘ favorite and worst’ within the name of the Digi-Pak juxtapose, suggesting the album possesses similar traits. The Font used is of disorganized and random format as well, insinuating that the band is not what the audience initially expect them to be and are in fact distinct and unique. This is furthermore emphasised by the colour of both the artist and albums name. It’s a mixture of yellow and green which also creates a sense of disorder and vibrancy in comparison to the gray scale background. The composition of the title also adds to its vibrancy because its placed in an area of block colour, allowing it to stand out and attract the audience.
Back Cover
Colour: There are two versions of the Arctic Monkeys DigiPak, both of which feature primarily the colour black, which obviously has connotations of mystery and darkness which is reflected the genre. Its more subtle than the front cover, which is common within Digi-Pak’s of this genre. The almost dirty, mustard colouring of the font from the front cover has continued on the back cover, creating a consistent theme throughout the Digi-Pak.
Back Cover
Unlike other track lists, this particular track list isn’t listed vertically but horizontally. This again implies a sense of uniqueness and originality that is reflected in both the genre, songs and band. It suggests that the instead of sticking to the expected conventions that media presents, they wish to be independent and act in a way that’s not pre-meditated. The institutional information is located at the bottom of the Digi-Pak in a smaller font to ensure that the focus isn’t taken away from the actual band and album. However it still follows the theme and colouring of the entire album.
Inner Sleeves The inner sleeves are bright, bold and colorful like the windows from the front cover. This creates the impression that things are not always what they seem on the outside, which fits with the Indie genre of expressing true self and passion. The illustrations look as though they are graffiti based, which links to the urban setting Indie Rock music video are usually placed.
Inner Sleeves-
At closer inspection, the inner sleeves illustration is a photograph of the cross section of the inside of a house, as evident by the table and chairs. Once again this creates the impression that appearance cannot determine what is inside, perhaps an idea that the Indie Rock Genre is trying to promote unlike that of mainstream media. The focus on the house throughout may link to the origins of the band itself as this was one of their first albums together.
The Artwork on the cd: The artwork on the disc consists of the same colour throughout the digi-pak and stands out in a way that attracts the audience and draws them towards the actual source of the music ( the disc). The illustration looks to be of a persons face which have been distorted and edited. The random qualities are consistent throughout the design of the album and once again the mustard colour stands bold against the black background. It looks as though flames are appearing from the sunglasses of the man, suggesting he has been ‘blown away’ by the music on the CD.
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