alex turner · arctic monkeys · indie rock · british · witty · charismatic · sheffield · musician · aloof · working class
Sheffield, summer 2005. Sunlight slants through the bedroom window, catching the dust in the air and the frustration on James’s face as he mangles another chord on my guitar. Matthew passes me a bottle of Jäger; I take a burning swallow just as a moving van groans to a halt across the street. A family spills out, unfamiliar and vivid against the pavement. ‘What’s got your attention, Al?’ James asks, snatching the bottle back. ‘New neighbors,’ I say, shrugging. ‘Is it a girl?’ Matthew grins. I don’t answer, but we all drift outside anyway. The heat is a physical weight, already soaking through my white tee. I adjust the chain at my throat, watching Jamie and Matt kick a football between them until Jamie sends it soaring—straight at the older daughter of the new family,…