The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
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Lord only knows how hard it’s been for Alex Turner to keep these hankerings in check. What a struggle it must be, not letting on to your bluff, muscular Northern bandmates that you’re a mariachi-waving, guitar-twirling Zorro with a penchant for widescreen camp. Well, the other Arctics are going to know now.
We’ve had hints in the daft costumes Turner and co have sported for awards shows and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, but here’s solid proof of his more expansive side. And we mustn’t forget to “blame” Puppet pal and lead man of The Rascals, Miles Kane – indeed, Kane’s influence seems the stronger on The Age Of The Understatement, with The Rascals’ garage psychedelia a persistent flavour throughout.
The rest owes an acknowledged debt to Scott Walker as, like him, Turner and Kane break free from the strictures of modern pop and give free rein to the romantic film soundtracks in their heads. This is a far-sighted record of dashing strings, galloping stallion rhythms, Spaghetti Western horns and Bacharach melody.
If that sounds ridiculous, well, that’s because it is. The Puppets wear drama on their sleeves, from the bull-fighting tempo of ‘Separate And Ever Deadly’ to the creepy cop show intro of ‘Calm Like You’. There’s even room for Psycho strings on ‘Black Plant’, a song which starts off in thrall to the theme from ‘70s TV melodrama Hart To Hart, of all things.
Lyrically, too, this is miles from the Monkeys. Earthy specifics are ditched for tales of femme fatales – “The girl with many different strategies”, no less, on ‘Only The Truth’ – and vague mystery. Turner and Kane are acting the part and it’s all terribly good fun.
Matthew Horton
