Not many people have the time or the patience to listen to a full-length album anymore. Everyone, including myself, is too busy to take 42 minutes (the standard length of a vinyl record) and listen to an album in its entirety. While there are not many records that are worth sitting through out there, every once in awhile I come across an album that blows my socks off. Meet The Last Shadow Puppets.
The Last Shadow Puppets are a British rock band formed by Alex Turner and Miles Kane. Turner is known primarily for being the frontman of Arctic Monkeys while Kane is known as a prolific performer in his own right. The two teamed up with producer and drummer James Ford to release their first record, “The Age of the Understatement” in 2008 before splitting up to focus on their individual projects. The band remained on hiatus until this year, when they recruited bass player Zach Dawes and released their latest record, “Everything You’ve Come To Expect.”
Cover art for this year’s “Everything You’ve Come To Expect”
To be honest, I was never a huge fan of the band before this album. “The Age of the Understatement” was fine, but it lacked the fire and energy that was in each member’s other musical ventures. “Everything You’ve Come to Expect,” however, shows that Turner and Kane’s partnership is a force with which to be reckoned. The two execute what is arguably their best work with swagger and ferocity in an album that oozes sexiness.
Turner has been praised by critics for his lyrical prowess, musicianship and smooth, crooner-like voice. On this album, he not only lives up to the hype, but also takes his talents to a new level by delivering some of the most diverse and interesting material he has ever developed. A song like “The Element of Surprise” could have easily been a 1970s-era David Bowie track. In “Sweet Dreams, TN,” Turner channels his inner Roy Orbison as the song crescendos into its bombastic ending.
Another factor that makes this album so great is the performance of Zach Dawes. Dawes, who is already famous for being a member of Los Angeles rock outfit Mini Mansions, brings an element of coolness to the table with his slinky, rich bass lines. Dawes’ playing on songs such as “Dracula Teeth” or “Bad Habits” is comparable to Paul McCartney’s performance on the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” (1969).
Unlike the other material that I have reviewed in this column so far, this album is meant for all listeners. Those who love cool bass lines, hot guitar licks and danceable tracks with catchy melodies should look no further.