The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
Signs that Turner has the musical maturity and imagination to move his music somewhere a lot more interesting.
The Last Shadow Puppets is of course the side project of Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane of The Rascals. However this may not be your average side project - all things Monkeys being so bankable, Turner is not forced into the realm of bedroom recording for his hobby but instead his unmistakable Sheffield brogue is found sitting atop the strings and brass of the London Metropolitan Orchestra.
The record begins with the title track and lead single which helps set out the stall for the rest of the record. The track is dominated by the arrangements of Owen Pallett (taking time out from his day job with Arcade Fire), which are joined by lead vocals by Turner and Kane, galloping drums and sixties guitar tones. The initial breakdown after the string intro is curiously reminiscent of Muse's 'Knights Of Cydonia'.
According to iTunes the genre of 'The Age...' is 'country', and while the record is not quite as much of a departure as this would suggest there is a certain Wild West influence both in the instrumentation and Kane and Turner's partners in crime singing style. 'Separate And Ever Deadly' continues the Western theatrics with talk of "a handsome maverick you don't talk about to keep me calm" and also features a splendidly venomous call and response chorus: "save me from the secateurs... can't you see I'm a ghost in the wrong coat"
Although the musical terrain covered by Kane and Turner is quite different from their day jobs, the lyrics are also a far cry from Arctic style social commentary and show good signs that when the talk of Scummy Men and Mardy Bums finally wears thin, Turner has the musical maturity and imagination to move his music somewhere a lot more interesting.
'The Chamber' features possibly the strongest string arrangement on the album which is no small compliment; Pallett's arrangements remaining subtle when necessary and taking advantage of the opportunities to roam and dance over the album.
'Only The Truth' features surf guitar and tribal drums that could have been taken from 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' but is joined by string flourishes and dazzling stabs of trumpet. The track in particular is a reminder that, this being a side project is about having fun, Turner and Kane's sense of enjoyment shining through here as it does throughout the record.
'My Mistakes Were Made For You' is a superb piece, featuring a bass line seemingly stolen from 'Scott 4' and tender crooning vocals over shimmering reverb heavy guitar strums. It features yet more impressive imagery: "in the backroom of a bad dream she came and whisked me away, enthused". The chorus resists the temptation to explode into all-out bombast as Turner intones "innocence and arrogance entwined, in the filthiest of minds".
'Black Plant' and 'The Meeting Place' both breeze by, upping the 60s feel again with Bacharach-esque strings and 'In My Room' sounds like the boys having a bash at their very own Bond theme. All told, this adds up to an undeniably lavish side project and although the highs of the title track and 'My Mistakes Were Made For You' aren't entirely maintained throughout the record, it is an enjoyable listen which gives strong hints that the front men won't have to rely on The Last Shadow Puppets to pay the bills.
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