It's not very often I pre-order an album, in fact I could likely count on one hand the amount of times I have in the last few years. But when I saw there was a new Last Shadow Puppets album on the way I have to say it was pre-ordered on the first day I was aware of it.
I loved the first Puppets album, it was a rather cool swirl of 60's breeze mixed with a light tinge of scouse psychedelia. It was original and different for the time, made by 2 young lads who appreciated the sound of songs past that could be modernised for today's ear.
I always thought it must be hard for them both not to just produce an Arctic Monkeys or Miles Kane flavoured LP. As they showed on the debut they were more than up to the task.
Miles Kane has a self-confessed desire to be a front man, he gives the impression of a man who will leave nothing on the stage for the audience, a real sense he gives his all up there to ensure the audience go home entertained. Alex Turner has morphed from a young Sheffield lad to a world weary rock n roll crooner as he's developed an on-stage persona he uses to paint over the real Alex, a Diet-Elivs drape to hide the real man beneath. It's a persona that can equally entertain and irritate at times.
Together the differing forces combine extremely well.
Their 'debut' album came wrapped up in a stunning portrait of a 60's era model, tying in perfectly to the album's sound and giving the whole package a real lift of class. The new album, Everything You've Come to Expect, repeats the same trick, this time using an old 60's image of Tina Turner to once again tie the sound to the era it hopes to hold close to.
Now I won't claim to have any musical knowledge, I ain't got a clue what a bridge or middle-eight are, my musical knowledge falls into 2 simple tricks...I like it...or I don't.
I can quite often get all the way through an album without taking in a single lyrical, just enjoying the musical landscape that's been produced. Then go straight back to the start to work out what was being sung about in the midst of all the wonderful music.
There was a lot of hype for this record, and to be honest deep down I feared there was no way this could match the debut, the best hope was that it wouldn't trail too far behind. I was wrong, simple as that, this is every bit as great a record as the first and can rightly stand alongside it's older brother, shoulder to shoulder.
Straight from the opening crystaline psychedelia of Aviation you know the tunes are going to hit the spot. A tune that feels like it's constantly building up to something that it never arrives at, swirling round and round.
Miracle Aligner showcases Alex Turner in full on crooner mood as it land somewhere in between the 60's and the best 80's pop song you never heard.
Dracula Teeth returns to the debut album sound, albeit with a more confident and refined polish with deep strings and Yardbirds guitar
Everything You've Come to Expect rises in with a very Summer-esque Gallic flair, showcasing the lads daring to do whatever they want as Alex mourns a love gone
The Element of Surprise lifts the sound up into a more modern pop edge, layering on a heavier drum sound to beef things up for the first time
Bad Habits find Miles straying back to his own sound, a track that could easily sit on one of his solo records. It's a bold and brash rock sound with Miles trademark guitars and strong working together
Sweet Dreams, TN brings the pace back down as Alex steps back into the shoes of Elvis to deliver a low drawling vocal on an ode to a (pharmaceutical) love
Used To Be My Girl stomps and climbs it's way in as the album starts to build towards to its close, springing jagged guitars into the walk
The album finally, for me, hits filler territory as She Does The Woods wanders in, almost a croon too much on the overall sound. A rare song that meanders in with no real purpose (for me).
The lads land bang on point with Pattern, lending Miles the stage to show how be can own a song. A beautiful track whose strong sounds and lifting harmony should hopefully see it land on many Summer playlists
The Dream Synopsis has you reaching for the sleeve to check John Lennon isn't about to appear, before Alex pops up to remind you this is a Puppets track as he again takes us back Sheffield on this piano rich track. Kept simple, never trying to be smarter than it is.
Bonus-Track The Bourne Identity closes things out with a classic Puppets sound mixing Sheffield vocals, strings and the Indie mood
And after 37 minutes and 23 seconds the album is over (or a little more if you count the bonus track), the joy is done, your first essential record for the Summer is done. It feels more like a record to be listened to as opposed to sung along to in a lager fuelled stadium, so will be interesting to see how it fares out on the road and during the Summer Festival season, how the guys mix this with the debut album and deliver the rich sound in the live arena.
The real test of an album for me is it how stands up over time, do you return to it and play it over and over. Despite some areas of this album feeling a little samey I think it is an album I'll be returning to on multiple occasions for a re-listen.
It's great to have another Last Shadow Puppets album to enjoy, here's hoping we don't have to wait another 8 years for the next one, that really would be far too long. Seems like an obvious thing to say, but it really would be a real shame to have to wait 2,920 days for another sonic treat like this.
Peace&Love, theSub