In a massive blip on behalf of Suffolk wedding venue Butley Priory and their chef, the 7th album from the Sheffield greats has been announced in the most unusual way

We’ve had some weird album announcements in our time; Beyoncé dropping the surprise of the ‘Lemonade’ film and consequential album, U2 literally shoving their album onto everyone’s iTunes (I think we can all agree that is not the way to market an album), or Taylor Swift notoriously surprising her fans with not one but two albums in the same year, but none have been as casual as this one. I mean, is it an announcement or just a huge blunder? Or perhaps a carefully planned PR stunt?

But, more importantly, they’re back once again! Just the news I needed to brighten my ten-day isolation. As usual, Arctic Monkeys kept their recording activity a mystery until this week with the release of a photo outside Butley Priory in Sussex by a personal chef, where they have supposedly finished recording their new album. 

Often the location of studios in which they record give some bearing on the direction of the albums they create (i.e Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino being recorded in France), although this time it’s far more difficult to judge. Butley Priory is a monastery, which could potentially suggest a range of orchestral components in the new album.

Many are speculating a follow up to 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino, an album that has generated a completely new image for the group, despite being a divisive offering.

Others, however, believe they may revive some of their more angsty, indie sound from the 2000s — I have to say, though, this is extremely unlikely. It’s pretty hard to write songs about being a young lad in Sheffield when you’re in fact a multimillionaire living in L.A. 

The outfit have also matured far beyond this sound, after the release of such an intricate concept album, it would be ludicrous to step the other way. Alex Turner is a completely unpredictable force in the music industry mainly due to his lack of social media presence, however, this is also what makes the band’s albums so shocking and intriguing. With no hints or teasers, whatever they come out with next is bound to shock in one way or another. 

I have faith that their next album will be a great one. I have loved this band since hearing Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not in my dad’s car when it came out and I can’t wait to hear this one. Whatever they reveal in the future is destined to be brilliant.