The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement

I’ve heard the phrase “Arctic Monkeys with strings” banded about with reference to this band over the past couple of weeks, and it’s exactly the narrow-minded phrase I’ve come to expect from music fans and journalists alike nowadays.  While it is easy to write off ‘The Age of the Understatement’ as something Alex Turner is doing to pass the time between albums, it’s completely unfair.

I can see where this has come from and there are a couple of songs on the album which I’d just about forgive it for; but The Last Shadow Puppets are so much more than that.

Miles Kane and Alex Turner have penned a modern day classic which refreshingly strays away from your run of the mill Libertines/Strokes tribute bands.  With a little help from Owen Pallett (of Final Fantasy and Arcade Fire fame) and James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco and Klaxons producer) they have created an album which at times leaves you thinking of early Scott Walker material and wishing you were submersed in the 60’s.

‘The Age of the Understatement’ is a delightful and melodic blast from the past which grabs you straight from the off and doesn’t fail to keep you hanging on every bow of the strings and thrash of the guitar for an exhilarating 35 minutes which almost feels too short.  Turner shows off some of his most prolific lyric writing and delivery to date, a showcase of emotive and heartfelt words which are a million miles away from the dancefloor strewn lyrics of Arctic Monkeys debut album; and if the songs I’ve heard by the Rascals are anything to go by then Mr Kane’s bandmates are probably shitting themselves.

The album starts at a fast and exciting pace and as it means to go on with the eponymous debut single; crashing timpanis, well worked lyrics and beautiful string arrangements and you start to get the feeling that some of the songs are epic enough and perfectly arranged to almost be straight out of a James Bond film.   Turner has a rewarded fans with arguably some of his most respected material at the end of his albums, and while some may be disappointed with the 2 minute finale of ‘Time has come again’ for it’s failure to conform; it really is an amazing piece of songwriting.  The song ends the album perfectly and almost in a heartbreaking manner (From folded notes in envelopes/”Meet me beneath the moon”/Don’t go too soon/She went too soon), with Turner and Kane crooning and reminiscing about the past (If only they were seventeen) over cheery acoustic guitars and gushing strings.

So if you’re in your local record shop soon and this review doesn’t convince you, at least you get to take home the girl on the cover.

Highlights: Standing Next to Me, Black Plant, Time has come again.

Rating: 9/10