Honestly, it is kind of wild that a nineteen-minute EP from 2011 is still the go-to emotional support animal for anyone dealing with a breakup or a rainy Tuesday. Most movie soundtracks are just collections of "songs that sounded cool in the background," but the submarine alex turner soundtrack is a different beast entirely. It’s the sound of the coolest guy in indie rock—Alex Turner, obviously—deciding to stop shouting for a second.
Back then, the Arctic Monkeys were transitioning from the desert-rock sludge of Humbug into the sleeker Suck It and See era. Out of nowhere, Turner drops this acoustic project for his friend Richard Ayoade’s directorial debut. It felt like a secret. No heavy drums. No snarling. Just a guy and a guitar in a room, capturing exactly what it feels like to be fifteen and convinced your life is a cinematic masterpiece, even when you're just walking around a cold beach in Wales.
The Story Behind the Submarine Alex Turner Soundtrack
You’ve probably heard the rumors that Turner wrote these songs while staring at a wall in New York. That’s mostly true. He wrote them on an acoustic guitar at his home in NYC back in 2009. What’s interesting is that Richard Ayoade, who directed the film Submarine, didn't even show Turner the finished movie before the songs were written. He just asked his friend to capture a "vibe."
Turner actually read the original Joe Dunthorne book first. He watched some of the "dailies" (the raw footage from the set), but he wasn't trying to write a play-by-play of the script. He was trying to channel Oliver Tate’s specific brand of pretentious, well-meaning, slightly delusional teenage angst. The result? A record that feels more like a diary than a product.
Why It Sounds So Stripped Back
James Ford produced the EP, and he kept it incredibly lean. If you listen closely to the submarine alex turner soundtrack, you’ll notice it’s mostly just:
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- An acoustic guitar with some serious "room" sound.
- A fuzzy, unobtrusive organ drone.
- The occasional piano that sounds like it’s being played in a drafty hallway.
- Turner’s voice, which had shifted from the Sheffield spit of his early days into a softer, almost Leonard Cohen-style croon.
Breaking Down the Tracklist (The Good Stuff)
There are only six tracks. One of them is a one-minute intro. It’s short. You can finish the whole thing in the time it takes to boil pasta. But every second counts.
Hiding Tonight is the one that usually hooks people first. It’s got that "tomorrow I’ll be better" energy that everyone who procrastinates on their mental health can relate to. The line about winning a prize even if it's rigged? Pure Turner. It captures that feeling of wanting to be a hero while staying under the covers.
Then there’s Glass in the Park. This one feels like a fever dream. It’s slow. It’s romantic. It uses words like "paraselene," which most people had to Google (it’s a moon dog, by the way). It captures the way teenagers view love—as something massive and cosmic, even if they’re just hanging out by a climbing frame.
The Piledriver Waltz Mystery
The biggest talking point for Monkeys fans is always Piledriver Waltz. It’s the only track that "graduated" to a full band version on the Suck It and See album.
Most people prefer the Submarine version. Why? Because the original is weirder. It has two different time signatures and a chorus that feels like a slow-motion car crash in the best way possible. When the band re-recorded it, they made it a bit more "pop." The soundtrack version remains the definitive one for anyone who likes their heartbreak served with a side of acoustic melancholy.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of people think this was Alex Turner trying to start a solo career. In reality, it was more of a detour. He hasn't released a solo project since. He’s always been about the "gang" mentality of a band, which makes this EP feel even more precious. It’s the only time we really get to hear him without the noise.
Another misconception is that the music is "sad." It isn't just sad. It’s observational. It’s funny in a dry, British way. When he sings about the white parts of his eyeballs illuminating, he’s poking fun at how intense he’s being. It’s self-aware.
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Why We Still Care in 2026
The submarine alex turner soundtrack works because it doesn't try too hard. In a world of overproduced "lo-fi beats to study to," this is the real deal. It’s authentic. It’s also the bridge that led to the Arctic Monkeys' later work. Without this EP, we probably don't get the lounge-singer vibes of Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino or the cinematic sweep of The Car.
It was the first time Turner realized he didn't need a wall of Marshall amps to get his point across. He just needed a good melody and a few well-placed words about heartbreak hotels and comfortable shoes.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Listen:
- Watch the Movie First: If you haven’t seen Submarine, the songs gain about 40% more emotional weight once you see Oliver Tate wearing that duffle coat.
- A-Side vs. B-Side: Treat the first four tracks as the "innocent" phase and the final two as the "reality check."
- The Suck It and See Comparison: Play the soundtrack version of "Piledriver Waltz" back-to-back with the Arctic Monkeys version. You'll hear exactly how much Turner's production choices changed his entire "vibe."
- Lyrical Deep Dive: Look up the lyrics to "It's Hard to Get Around the Wind." It's arguably his best piece of poetry, dealing with the difficulty of moving on when your brain keeps dragging you back to the same spot.