THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
The Age of the Understatement
(Domino)
By Todd Lavoie
Side projects tend to be met upon arrival with more than a bit of held-breath trepidation and Doubting Thomas cynicism. So it’s always nice when one shows up that not only turns out to be a rousing success, but also ends up raising the bar for the artists concerned in the process. Such is the case with the recent Last of the Shadow Puppets collaboration between the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner and the Rascals’ Miles Kane. Their opening introduction, The Age of the Understatement, should come as a great big “who knew?’ to those who have followed the pair’s respective day jobs thus far.
Specifically I am speaking of Turner; while Kane’s Rascals hold plenty of promise, they have thus far only released an EP, with an album expected this summer. As for Turner, however – well, who would have expected that the charming leader of the exuberant pop-punkers Arctic Monkeys would follow up two such gloriously careening albums of post-Buzzcocks delights (2006’s Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not and last year’s Favourite Worst Nightmare, both Domino) with a collection of lushly orchestrated ’60s pop? And that it would be so successful in paying homage to that era, for that matter?
The album should be considered a turning point for the vocalist. As effective as the Arctic Monkeys’ pint-raising anthems have been in getting bodies in motion, here we are seeing a whole new depth to his songwriting. Not only did he and Kane – the two share songwriting credits – fully embrace and absorb the string-laden pop of the likes of Scott Walker, but they’ve penned a whole new set of riveting melodramas which surpass rote re-creation and mere mimicry and instead strive for achieving similar heights. Overall, they succeed enormously, which leaves me quite anxious to hear the Rascals’ forthcoming debut, to be sure, and feverishly praying away that the next Monkeys disc can’t be much further around the bend.