Suck It and SeeDomino Records ****

They surprised many with their Josh Homme-aided dabblings in the murky, heavier end of indie rock with

Humbug

, but Arctic Monkeys were never going to flog the cheeky chappy schtick forever. Alex Turner & co's fourth album is, if not their best, surely their most sure- footed and ambitious. Elements of Homme's direction prevail in the villainous riffs that streak through

Library Pictures

and

Black Treacle

, but otherwise these songs are vintage Monkeys. Turner's self-assured croon paves the way for inventive melodies galore and razor-sharp lyrical couplets that are guaranteed to generate grins. The seductive menace of

All My Own Stunts

is especially evocative, while

Brick by Brick

epitomises the band's current perspective: a jolly, assertive swagger that only comes with experience, imagination and a hearty dose of self-belief. See arcticmonkeys. com

Download tracks: All My Own Stunts, Brick by Brick