Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
by Arctic Monkeys
  • Record Label: Domino
  • Release Date: May 11, 2018
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 701 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 504 out of 701
  2. Mixed: 103 out of 701
  3. Negative: 94 out of 701
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  1. Alekei658
    May 20, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The best album of arctic monkeys It is the album that has the best songs :)… Expand
  2. ING45
    Apr 16, 2023
    8
    Piano in space and funny lyrics , good record overall. A cohesive theme
  3. petrichor1975
    Apr 4, 2023
    8
    "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino" is a very ambitious listen for the English group, and is an intreging and captivating one as well. "Four Out of Five" and "The World's First Monster Truck Front Flip" shows the group's adventurous, new sound by calling on the likes of The Rolling Stones and David Bowie. "She Looks Like Fun", however, is the one major dud on the album and disrupts the"Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino" is a very ambitious listen for the English group, and is an intreging and captivating one as well. "Four Out of Five" and "The World's First Monster Truck Front Flip" shows the group's adventurous, new sound by calling on the likes of The Rolling Stones and David Bowie. "She Looks Like Fun", however, is the one major dud on the album and disrupts the album's quality.… Expand
  4. Homs
    Feb 25, 2023
    10
    One of my favourite albums, almost every song is bliss from start to end. Needs a few listens to really set in.
  5. thecriticalhit
    Nov 29, 2022
    10
    Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is simply magnific, is perfect, everything, the theme of futuristic sci-fi is incredible, this is probably the best arctic monkeys album, the lycrics are good, but there are some excuses like "She Looks Like Fun" and "Golden Trunks" the rythm is strangely satisfatory, and i love that, this album is just the best comeback that Arvtic Monkeys could haveTranquility Base Hotel & Casino is simply magnific, is perfect, everything, the theme of futuristic sci-fi is incredible, this is probably the best arctic monkeys album, the lycrics are good, but there are some excuses like "She Looks Like Fun" and "Golden Trunks" the rythm is strangely satisfatory, and i love that, this album is just the best comeback that Arvtic Monkeys could have done, American Sportar and TBHC are theb est musics in the album, 10/10, this is music, real music.… Expand
  6. rhysmiller
    Aug 29, 2022
    10
    Their best complete album. Exceptionally thoughtful, introspective and innovative. Incredible lyrics and an actual experience. Close minded fans of their earlier work may not enjoy as every song isn't about failing to pick up girls in clubs. 10/10 and will only age better as time passes. Honestly give it a few listens!
  7. CosmoMoffy
    Apr 12, 2022
    9
    Very special album. Plays like it could have been Alex’s solo masterpiece, that said, I’m glad it’s a group effort. A change in sound and style again. It is as cool AF.
  8. lulxes
    Dec 24, 2021
    10
    Obra prima da música moderna
    Críticas sociais e referências impecáveis Álbum feito entre 2016-2018 com críticas que continuam fortes e atuais, envelhecendo igual vinho
  9. jilytday
    Nov 25, 2021
    10
    o melhor álbum da banda, eles amadureceram muito do álbum antes até esse, as letras, melodias, tudo soa perfeito.
  10. Mizuma
    Nov 17, 2021
    10
    The best album of AM. I don't undertand the hate to it, maybe people don't like different things and only like to listen to the same music style. i won't judge you, sure, but before contemplating something, you should get rid of prejudices.
  11. GhostMoon14
    Nov 13, 2021
    9
    Para aqueles que esperavam letras joviais e riffs cheiros de energia, o álbum pode parecer soberbo e inquietante. Quem estiver disposto a olhar além dos moldes do indie rock, tranquillity base hotel + cassino pode transportar o ouvinte à um reflexo embaçado e desafiante de uma mente criativa em seu auge de melancolia e profundidade.
  12. gobitoe
    May 6, 2021
    9
    First hearing this album in 2018, only after knowing the Monkeys for a bit, I decided to put it aside and wait a couple more years and come back to it. Boy, did I not regret it.

    In my opinion, this is their masterpiece that people will come back to in a couple more years and praise it for what it is; a masterpiece. After writing AM, which pretty much only had bangers and even then only    First hearing this album in 2018, only after knowing the Monkeys for a bit, I decided to put it aside and wait a couple more years and come back to it. Boy, did I not regret it.

    In my opinion, this is their masterpiece that people will come back to in a couple more years and praise it for what it is; a masterpiece. After writing AM, which pretty much only had bangers and even then only barely getting an 8/10 from most critics, Alex Turner found himself faced with writer's block.

    This album is deeply rooted it its beats, its ominous lyrics, and its themes of science fiction, regret and uncertainty. While most songs don't feature typical choruses, you can easily lose yourself in the mood the album just projects onto you from the first second of the first song.

    I do agree that some songs that get on your nerves really easily, like the chorus of "She Looks Like Fun", but even these songs find a way to charm you in the next part and make you want more. This is the kind of album you put on during a rainy night, sit down, enjoy a drink and get lost in the music.    … Expand
  13. ulissesdaadrina
    Mar 21, 2021
    8
    The album is by far the best of artic monkeys after a quiet vibe, whoever criticizes the album with weak arguments such as "no guitar" or "where are the most lively songs" are people with a façade mind, the album resembles musicians like David Bowie and Lô Borges, there are very valid reviews for the album but it does not cancel the qualities of the album note: 8.3
  14. idinahuiboi
    Feb 28, 2021
    9
    Arctic Monkeys always seem to gather my attention when it comes to their releases, as every album is a different take/style from the previous and this album was no exception.

    Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino is everything you'd expect from the title, 50s inspired piano music with the signature Alex Turner vocal/writing style to accompany and for me it works a wonder! in fairness, on    Arctic Monkeys always seem to gather my attention when it comes to their releases, as every album is a different take/style from the previous and this album was no exception.

    Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino is everything you'd expect from the title, 50s inspired piano music with the signature Alex Turner vocal/writing style to accompany and for me it works a wonder!

    in fairness, on release it took me a good few listens to get my head around as this is the follow up album to their critically acclaimed AM album which was fairly well recognised world wide, a first for the band, but now I could sing through every song with little issue!

    overall, once again another great new direction for the band adding to their catalogue of great albums and great genres.    … Expand
  15. lorange_
    Feb 22, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly, it feels like since 2018, this album has been growing in my head, and for me, at least, this is their masterpiece.… Expand
  16. Lhorkaven
    May 28, 2020
    8
    This album is different. I never consider this album bad at all. You need to listen this album without influence from previous albums. It'll grow on you.
  17. MARXENZOLOPES
    May 26, 2020
    9
    A great musical wealth. An incredible adventure of arctic monkeys. with songs that were very well composed and grouped around a theme.
  18. MeesVanDuin
    Sep 12, 2019
    9
    A year has passed, and we properly had the time to digest the album. TBHC is, above all else, incredibly Arctic Monkeys. A new album means a new sound, new experiments and new developments within the group. Alex sounds almost Father John Misty like on the record, with his pretentious lines and compositions. TBHC is the record that divides fans, and maybe that is exactly what the group hasA year has passed, and we properly had the time to digest the album. TBHC is, above all else, incredibly Arctic Monkeys. A new album means a new sound, new experiments and new developments within the group. Alex sounds almost Father John Misty like on the record, with his pretentious lines and compositions. TBHC is the record that divides fans, and maybe that is exactly what the group has needed all this time.… Expand
  19. BarnPack
    Jun 16, 2019
    7
    Exploring new areas for Turner's songwriting and lyrical abilities, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino challenges listeners to sink into the detail and story of the album, albeit with some relatively safe and vanilla moments.

    Although on first listen the record feels like an uncomfortable new pair of shoes, after relaxing into the story and theme of the album, the 40 minute stay at the    Exploring new areas for Turner's songwriting and lyrical abilities, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino challenges listeners to sink into the detail and story of the album, albeit with some relatively safe and vanilla moments.

    Although on first listen the record feels like an uncomfortable new pair of shoes, after relaxing into the story and theme of the album, the 40 minute stay at the lunar hotel soon becomes a welcome visit.

    Arctic Monkeys laid it out plainly from the start, and remained true to their word at every musical juncture along their constantly interesting and unpredictable journey; whatever people say they are, that's what they're not.    … Expand
  20. surf1ngthevoid
    May 5, 2019
    9
    Easily the best thing the Monkeys came up with. The way Alex focused on piano melodies instead of using his guitar helped to change (in a positive way) the direction the band was taking until the moment. Moral: you don't need aggressive guitars and fast tempos to make a great and perfectly enjoyable album.
  21. huri
    May 5, 2019
    7
    Unlike AM, this album is more psychedelic and very reminiscent of John Lennon/ Sgt. Pepper on some of the tracks. The overall vibe is much slower paced and the songs pretty much go in any direction that they want, much like a Jazz song. Piano and base are the major players here and lead guitar plays the supporting role. Each of the individual songs on their own are not meant to be superUnlike AM, this album is more psychedelic and very reminiscent of John Lennon/ Sgt. Pepper on some of the tracks. The overall vibe is much slower paced and the songs pretty much go in any direction that they want, much like a Jazz song. Piano and base are the major players here and lead guitar plays the supporting role. Each of the individual songs on their own are not meant to be super catchy "hit" songs, but more so thoughtful and introspective sounds that come together to make a relatively coherent psychedelic- "esque" 70's album.… Expand
  22. MelancholyHobbs
    Apr 12, 2019
    7
    A strange album to say the least. It certainly has some high points, but at it's low points it can seem drab and forgettable. The album as a whole is dangerously close to being a project with a singular purpose - to stroke Turner's own ego.
  23. krazyyeti555
    Jan 8, 2019
    8
    Fans of Arctic Monkeys and lead singer/chief songwriter Alex Turner had somewhat of an inkling that this change of direction might have been coming through his side project Last Shadow Puppets album in 2016, but 2018's Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino surprised almost everyone. As a longtime Arctic Monkeys fan, the direction really appealed to me in an idealistic sense but the executionFans of Arctic Monkeys and lead singer/chief songwriter Alex Turner had somewhat of an inkling that this change of direction might have been coming through his side project Last Shadow Puppets album in 2016, but 2018's Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino surprised almost everyone. As a longtime Arctic Monkeys fan, the direction really appealed to me in an idealistic sense but the execution was not quite as strong as, for example, 2013's AM was (although I feel this is actually a better album and has better tracks overall).

    Don't miss "One Point Perspective", "Star Treatment", or "The Ultracheese", and if you're feeling ambitious give the whole album a listen.    … Expand
  24. JulietteK
    Dec 25, 2018
    9
    Love it. It is amazing how this band manages to change, but at the same time remain itself and not degrade.
  25. evildaniil
    Dec 6, 2018
    10
    I've never heard something like this album. Special blend of Bowie's best years and Turner's bravado. Fresh and, in my honest opinion, right change of direction for the Monkeys. This is definitely a grower, so give it a few more listens in case you didn't like it.
  26. Mycoldpatrol
    Nov 15, 2018
    7
    Though it isn´t too original, this is a good album, you should give it a listen, but don´t expect it to be a masterpiece.
  27. reviewsandstuff
    Nov 3, 2018
    8
    (Conor's Reviews & Stuff - Facebook)

    If you’ve followed any great band for a few albums, you know how rare it is for a band to try to top a masterpiece with a better version of that masterpiece. Arctic Monkeys are no exception. Their previous offering, ‘AM’, was a critical and commercial darling. The groove-laden, post-stoner-rock whirlwind shot Arctic Monkeys into the mainstream and    (Conor's Reviews & Stuff - Facebook)

    If you’ve followed any great band for a few albums, you know how rare it is for a band to try to top a masterpiece with a better version of that masterpiece. Arctic Monkeys are no exception. Their previous offering, ‘AM’, was a critical and commercial darling. The groove-laden, post-stoner-rock whirlwind shot Arctic Monkeys into the mainstream and the pressure for success on their next album became unparalleled. In the five years since, fans have waited in nervous excitement for an album that had to be great.

    I was recently talking with a friend who thought that if anyone could have topped ‘AM’ while continuing along the same vein, Alex Turner, frontman and songwriter extraordinaire, could. While that may be the case, and whatever Arctic Monkeys were going to do next, very few would have predicted a lounge pop opus about a washed up lounge singer playing four nights a week at a casino on the moon.

    The songwriting is, in typical Turner fashion, verbose and acerbic. He muses on technology, politics, and the threat of obscurity, while maintaining the wit and charm with which he has become synonymous. The musical focal point has shifted from the guitar to the piano, with the vast majority of the album having been written on a Steinway vertegrand piano which Turner received as a gift for his 30th birthday in 2016. While the arrangements and melodies are expansive and intricate, they lack a catchiness and succinctness with which Arctic Monkeys have become associated. While these things may not have been priorities for the band, their absence robs even the best songs on this album of some potential staying power.

    Overall, this record is an achievement. A grand idea very well executed. It may just be too far afield of what we expect from this band for us to feel entirely comfortable with it. But then again, maybe that’s the point.    … Expand
  28. Caleb37804
    Oct 3, 2018
    10
    "Have I told you all about the time that i got sucked into a hole?" An album for the transcended and the enlightened. There's no other way to put it. If you don't get this album... then you've got a long way to go. Yes, this album is about a hotel and casino on the moon... and yes, there's a song about a taco restaurant on the top... but the vocals, piano, guitar, bass, and other subtle"Have I told you all about the time that i got sucked into a hole?" An album for the transcended and the enlightened. There's no other way to put it. If you don't get this album... then you've got a long way to go. Yes, this album is about a hotel and casino on the moon... and yes, there's a song about a taco restaurant on the top... but the vocals, piano, guitar, bass, and other subtle sounds meld what is my favorite album other than Suck It and See. This entire album is great to sing too, like most of their albums, but THIS one is also great to not sing to... just listen... on your hammock, cruising in your car, and especially when you're just feeling a certain kind of something... like you've had an interaction with the Martini Police. I don't want to go into what each song is about because the meanings behind each one is more than the shell and up to each person who listens to it. I could see this album being difficult for people under 20 to fully grasp, no that they don't have good taste in music... they're the future of music... but the experience this album delves into is something youths have yet to achieve, and they'll get there in time.... and once they do, i hope they come back to this album. All of us will come back to this album and say "You know... I think i will take it easy for a little while."… Expand
  29. chi70
    Sep 29, 2018
    10
    The lyrics the sound Alex Turner's voice everything in this album is special and unique- it needs a few listens to get into it but once you are in you won't easily get out, and the journey begins. Blissful.
  30. Ricko
    Sep 20, 2018
    7
    It took me a good 10 listens to "Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino" before I started to enjoy to any extent. For those who find it hard to get into, I reckon it's worth persevering with for a dozen listens at least. It is worth it once you break into it. Going off on a tangent like this as a follow up to "AM" is both brave and yet safe for a band like Arctic Monkeys. They are not going to beIt took me a good 10 listens to "Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino" before I started to enjoy to any extent. For those who find it hard to get into, I reckon it's worth persevering with for a dozen listens at least. It is worth it once you break into it. Going off on a tangent like this as a follow up to "AM" is both brave and yet safe for a band like Arctic Monkeys. They are not going to be critically slated for taking risks and trying something different. I like most of the songs. The whole album has a consistent feel in terms of tempo and arrangements with very few notable choruses to be found. As a result many of the songs are hard to tell apart. Lyrically, Alex Turner is on form if a bit rambling and weird. For the first time in his career his delivery, which is primarily non singing here, reminds me of his fellow Sheffield man Jarvis Cocker. I think "Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino" will find its place alongside "Humbug" as a solid Arctic Monkeys album that fans will revisit in certain moods without regularly rubbing shoulders with their best work.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Most Discussed Album of 2018
5
#5 Most Shared Album of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Austin Chronicle
    Oct 5, 2018
    100
    The Monkeys' most anti-rock album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino proves their most adventurous, pop accessibility be damned.
    Read full review
  2. PopMatters
    May 24, 2018
    80
    The first listen may be surprising, but repeated listens illuminate that Arctic Monkeys remain progressive and energetic even when style and mood shift dramatically.
    Read full review
  3. Pretty Much Amazing
    May 23, 2018
    58
    Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino is the best possible kind of average record, one that goes out swinging. One that goes for it on every level. A record that, although it isn’t great by any typical metric, is extremely curious and entertaining.
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