The document analyzes the cover art for the Arctic Monkeys album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not". The cover features a black and white photo of Chris McClure, a friend of the band, smoking a cigarette. His average appearance helps make the album cover approachable. Iconography like his hooded eyes and cigarette suggest a relaxed, "stoner" style. Both the front cover and back cover use close-up shots of McClure with cigarettes to continue this theme throughout the digital booklet in a raw, stripped-back style through the use of black and white photography.

1. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's what I'm not: Digi Pack analysis
The cover image used on the Arctic
Monkeys album features a black and
white image of a man, probably in his
thirties, smoking a cigarette. This gives
the album cover a laid back feel as it
features a man who isn’t famous making
it approachable. The photo is of Chris
McClure, a friend of the band, they said
it was taken in the early hours of the
morning in Korova bar in Liverpool, after
the band had given him, his cousin and
his best friend “seventy quid to spend
on a night out". This is evident as the
image looks raw and down to earth.
In terms of iconography there are lots of thing within the Digi pack that contribute to the
relaxed (if not ‘stoner’) style including the dark hooded eyes on Chris as he does a relaxed
stare into the camera, the cigarette between his fingers and the used cigarette butts
plastered over the CD disk. Chris’ buzz cut suggests a tough lifestyle contributing to his
rugged exterior.
As said above the image is of Chris
McClure. This was an unusual choice for
the band to use an image of another
bands front man on their album cover
but his ‘Average’ appearance relaxes the
album style and complements the laid
back indie genre, despite the fact that
his appearance is quite rough making
him look quite thug like or troublesome
as he is smoking a cigarette & his
hooded eyes suggest drug use.
The disk is also a black and white
image and is covered in used
cigarette butts. Cigarettes give many
different connotations of some of
which are based around style and
cigarettes acting as an accessory in
order to look seductive or free and
careless but on the other hand they
can represent illness, poverty and
crime ETC…this is also clear when
you see the after effect on the back.
I believe this cover does both. Due
to Chris’ rough appearance but as
it’s on an album cover it’s done for
effect and style.
The CD cover doesn’t actually state the name of the album being ‘whatever people say I am
that’s what I’m not’ but it does have the band name written in their signature font. This acts
as a brand image/logo and although it’s hard to read it’s recognisable. It’s surrounded by a
white rectangle with rounded edges and the text is cut out. The writing on the back of the
CD is a lot clearer to read. It’s in a white sans serif font against a black/grey background.

2. The Front and back cover images are close up shots taken shortly after
each other capturing his reaction to the cigarette. The disk image is a close
up of multiple cigarettes making it look like an ashtray. All of the images
are edited in black and white to continue the ongoing theme. The use of
black and white leaves a subtlety of tones and make the image appear raw
and stripped back.
The Insert cover is very minimal in design and continues the black and
white theme just like the rest of the Digi pack. It is a black/grey background
with a white font saying “Whatever people say I am, that’s what I’m not”.
The overall CD Digi pack continues the relaxed theme and the black and
white design easily flows. The Digi pack follows Lacey’s repertoire of
elements; being Narrative (an average British man’s night out or lifestyle),
Character (Chris McClure), Iconography (rough lifestyle and drug use),
setting (either at home or in a pub by a window with closed curtains) and
Technical and audio codes (the use of black and white and many close ups
making it feel more intimate and like you know the character).
By Georgia
McLaughlin
Cover of inside booklet
Extra images
1) Chris McClure – cover star
2) Other shots of the cover image
3) The arctic monkeys