What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Arctic Monkeys

Adam Scott Glasspool, Steve Murphy, Lucas Way
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Jan 26, 2026 • 1h 36min

Critical Thinking (Pt. 2)

The Big Mates discuss longevity, cake, Paddington, and Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers.Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their very first season, Manic Street Preachers, in order to dissect and explore the band's fifteenth and most recent album, Critical Thinking. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.They continue and conclude their track-by-track analysis, wrap up their thoughts on the album, discuss how it sits in the band's discography, and ponder where they'd like the Manics to go next! What will we make of the album? Where do we hope they go next? Does Maurice like homophones? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Join us next week, as we return to Arctic Monkeys and start looking at their sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show
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Jan 23, 2026 • 19min

BREAKING NEWS: Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night

 The Big Mates recieve BREAKING NEWS. Adam, Steve, and Lucas take the truth and make it fluid whilst giving their first reactions to the new song by Arctic Monkeys.Released on January 22nd as a single from the forthcoming charity album Help(2) in aid of War Child, Opening Night is a new/old/reworked/fresh song by the band and was released amidst rumours that it would be the final song released by the band before breaking up.We give our initial thoughts on the song, the rumours, and the process in this short bonus episode!Join us next week for the conclusion of our deep-dive into Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers! The week after, we will return to Arctic Monkeys!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show
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Jan 19, 2026 • 1h 39min

Critical Thinking (Pt. 1)

The Big Mates discuss teachers, single edits, smart motorways, and Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers.Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their very first season, Manic Street Preachers, in order to dissect and explore the band's fifteenth and most recent album, Critical Thinking. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.They touch on the recording process, the effects of not having a manifesto, the themes of the album, and the ever-quotable Nicky Wire. Aging, nostalgia, techno-confusion, art, and politics - it must be a Manics album! How grey is grass? Could you listen to 165 Lifebloods in a row? What happened to your critical thinking? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Join us next week for the conclusion of our deep-dive into Critical Thinking!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show
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Jan 12, 2026 • 3h 45min

Album Club: Sigur Ros - Takk...

Now on our main feed, we present to you The WIM Album Club, with an episode we released on our Patreon last year.The episode is a classic WIM deep-dive into the album Takk... by Sigur Ros and features all of the usual discussion, analysis, commentary, history, insight, and tangents you've come to expect from the podcast.If you enjoyed this episode, head over to our Patreon to hear more episodes on a range of different artists, in different genres, from different countries and eras. Going to https://www.patreon.com/whatismusicpod and subscribing at the Bigger Mates tier or higher will get you instant access to all of the Album Club episodes we've released so far. That's just £5 a month!It also gives you the opportunity to submit your own choice of albums for possible future episodes, and means you can get involved in the discussion!  Our next episode is out next Monday, January 19th and sees us discussing Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers!Support the show
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Jan 5, 2026 • 2h

BONUS: Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

Ladies and gentlemen...We present to you, an episode from our Patreon! If you liked this, you can find plenty more like it by heading to https://www.patreon.com/whatismusicpod and signing up today! Free trials are available now for a limited time only!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comSupport our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show
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Dec 15, 2025 • 1h 30min

Bigma''s

It is once again a time for reflection, rejoicing, and sharing. Lucas remembers the time he got an N64 from Santa, Steve shares his plans for a festive family get together, and Adam battles his darkest Christmas yet. We will return in the New Year!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show
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Dec 8, 2025 • 1h 9min

We Went to See Radiohead

The Big Mates take a break from the current season to discuss the recent tour undertaken by Radiohead, some of the context surrounding it, and their own experiences of seeing them live at the O2 in London.Our next episode is out next Monday December 15th!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show
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Dec 1, 2025 • 1h 11min

The Last Shadow Puppets 2016 Tour Commentary

The Big Mates provide legal but audacious audio commentary for a selection of videos of The Last Shadow Puppets on tour in 2016.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the band's onstage personas, how seriously to take their antics, and the evolution of Alex Turner as a performer. Head to YouTube to watch along with the playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRzMZT2JmJ1Ff80yJnWEqlv3gbyfbPMa3&si=tCeHtTETO12Hf_TMOr don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!Our next episode comes out Monday December 8th!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show
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Nov 24, 2025 • 1h 53min

Everything You've Come to Expect

The Big Mates discuss trilogy theory, cider flavours, the accidental discovery of stereo audio, and Everything You've Come to Expect by The Last Shadow Puppets. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by stepping outside of it in order to examine the second album of the side project Alex Turner formed with Miles Kane.They discuss how the project came back together, the writing and recording of the album, and they explore the overall themes and sound, taking in the compositions, tones, lyrics, meaning, and context - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!They also look at how the side project was informed by, and goes on to influence the music made by Arctic Monkeys.Is this what we expected? What is a metaphor? What is happening at Adam’s gigs? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out next week, Monday December 1st!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show
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Nov 17, 2025 • 1h 31min

Belladonna of Sadness

The Big Mates discuss Mike Wozniak, Paul F. Tompkins, Mike Wazowski, and Belladonna of Sadness by Alexandra Savior. Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss how Alexandra Savior got started in music, the writing and recording process of her debut album, and they take a look at some of the songs from it. They explore the overall themes and sound, and talk about the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!They also find time to chat about Post Pop Depression by Iggy Pop.How does this fit into our season? What will we make of the album? Subs or dubs? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out next week, Monday November 24th!DONATE TO LUCAS' MOUSTACHE-BASED CHARITY DRIVE HEREhttps://movember.com/m/15517801?mc=60Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

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