Ever since they burst onto the scene back in 2006 with Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, and even before that, the Arctic Monkeys have been regarded pretty highly by critics worldwide. The terms “wunderkinds” and “prodigies” were tossed around casually, and frequently. And while that may have helped spread the Arctic Monkeys music at a fast rate, it must have put a ton of pressure on them to continue to live up to their seemingly unattainable reputation. Over the subsequent three albums, they experimented with their sound, tinkered with their style, and found moderate success, however nothing near the overall acclaim of their debut. On AM, the group’s fifth full album, Alex Turner and the boys have developed into men, settling into a sound that resonates with fans and critics alike. The album is as enjoyable as it is fresh, with several funky numbers — the band’s specialty — to go along with a few understatedly beautiful selections. Standouts are “Number 1 Party Anthem,” a nice step back into a calmer, less frenetic groove. “I Wanna Be Yours” slows the pace down for a well-crafted, introspective track examining the depth of love described with everyday objects, with lyrics by 70s UK punk poet John Cooper Clarke. “R U Mine?” shows adherence to the band’s funk/soft-punk roots, while on “Mad Sounds” Turner sounds like a lovechild of Lou Reed and Silver Jews-era Malkmus. The opening lick even resembles Reed’s “Pale Blue Eyes.” Their first album’s title aside, this Sheffield quartet is exactly what people always said they were: Geniuses. (Domino Records, arcticmonkeys.com) Ben Waldman