We Have Crashed the Party: Arctic Monkeys "Fluorescent Adolescent"

Arctic Monkeys "Fluorescent Adolescent"
dir. by Richard Ayoade
A peppy riff is accompanied by clowns and sunshine, but these normally pleasant parts don't add up to the summertime jaunt you might expect. As Alex Turner delivers rapid-fire lyrics about an aging woman, the similarly grown-up clowns engage a suited group of men in a battle royale. Violence and hilarity ensue, but within all this absurdity there is more than a hint of sincere storytelling.

Like Turner's characters, these are men who lament the loss of their innocent youths; reacting defensively rather than pausing to reflect on their growth. The momentary flashbacks are bitter memories, and the "Karma Police"-finale is not catharsis - it's a resignation no amount of makeup can hide.