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It’s interesting to see how far the boys from Sheffield have come in the past five years.

In 2006, Arctic Monkeys exploded onto the musical scene with their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. The album, a combination of British post-punk melancholy and the infectious energy of young, inexperienced musicians, made quite the splash, becoming the fastest selling British debut album of all time, a record previously held by Oasis’s Definitely, Maybe. What Oasis did in the ’90s, Arctic Monkeys did in the 2000s: redefine the Brit-pop sound for a new musical landscape while trying to balance artistic growth with rapid popularity and success.

Their next album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, expanded upon the energy of their debut and topped it off with a slick studio finish, making for an even more successful album. In 2009, the Monkeys’ third album, Humbug, toned down the energy and upped the brooding atmosphere, making for a moody record more similar to Interpol or Editors than their earlier work.

Their newest album, Suck It And See, may lack the rough energy of their first two albums that made the band initially so attractive, but the more polished result is inevitable. The Monkeys have grown up somewhat and Suck It And See continues along the trend established on Humbug, occasionally holding back on the energy (although there still is plenty to spare) to let the mature themes shine through.

Still, there’s plenty of youthful indulgences on the album. Again, the band seems to win the award for silliest song titles, with tracks such as “Piledriver Waltz” and “Love Is A Laserquest” ranking along with their previous hits “Brianstorm” and “Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But”¦” as some of the most inventive titles in rock.

Suck It And See still has the pop hooks and punky guitars that make their sound so infectious. The first two tracks, “She’s Thunderstorms” and “Black Treacle,” try to recapture some of the energy lost over the years but the result is more contained than when the band was young.

“Brick By Brick” exemplifies the strengths of Brit-pop: catchy lyrics and a simple rhythm that are familiar to the listener before the song is even over — a formula exploited by the best pop rock bands since the Beatles to Franz Ferdinand. “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” showcases frontman Alex Turner at his wittiest, spouting lyrics like “Home sweet home, home sweet booby-trap” with such an audibly sardonic tone, one can almost picture the cocky smile on his face as he sings.

The next few tracks slow down the pace and darken the tone, bringing in hints of heavy rock and even western riffs on “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair.” When the album gets to “Reckless Serenade,” it shifts into love ballads. That’s not to say the Monkeys get hokey, but the tone softens and the lyrics, although still sarcastic, speak more positively of love — even love lost.

“Love is a Laserquest” is the album’s only obvious weak point. Its heavy toms seem almost tribal and the high guitar riffs don’t blend as well as they could with the melancholy lyrics. Such a song points to the band’s somewhat limited repertoire: they excel at post-punk pop hits, but when they start to experiment, the results lack the confidence that pervades the rest of their work.

The title track “Suck It And See” and “That’s Where You’re Wrong” bring the album full circle, blending the ballads of the second half of the album with the enthusiasm of the first half. They have the feel of songs written at the end of a productive day, giving the impression that the Monkeys are proud of their efforts.

Although Suck It And See is not their best album (that honour lies with sophomore effort Favourite Worst Nightmare), Arctic Monkeys should be quite proud of their latest work. Their first two albums were game-changers — great musical works that redefined British pop rock. They had the feel of early Joy Division or The Libertines — something that very few albums can ever achieve. Besides, Arctic Monkeys can’t be expected to produce the best album of the decade every time they hit the studio.

Bands have to grow up at some point. To expect Arctic Monkeys to remain young and raw forever is unreasonable; if their fourth album had sounded like first-time musicians learning the ropes, it would have felt dishonest or pointed to a lack of skill that was unnoticed on their earnest earlier albums. Suck It And See is the natural next step for a group that achieved meteoric success early on and is now learning to act as a grown-up band.

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image: Arctic Monkeys