The Age Of The Understatement [Digipack]

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Famous for demonstrating how less is more when it comes to publicity, it comes as no surprise that The Age of the Understatement, the first side project from Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, should appear to no great fanfare. The Last Shadow Puppets are Turner and Miles Kane, formerly of Monkeys tourmates The Little Flames and now in the Rascals, aided by producer (and here, drummer) James Ford, also of Simian Mobile Disco. Inspired by the widescreen orchestral Sixties pop of Scott Walker and legendary arranger David Axelrod, they enlisted the London Metropolitan Orchestra under the aegis of Canadian Owen Pallett (aka Final Fantasy and an erstwhile member of the Arcade Fire's string section). The result is entirely successful, owing as much to the romanticism of Richard Hawley and the eclectic approach of the Coral as any sixties precursors. The thundering title track is pure Scott though, "I Don't Like You Anymore" is twisted pop in the best Cosmic Scouse tradition and the beautiful "Meeting Place", brilliantly enhanced by Pallett's orchestration, already sounds like an old classic. "Standing Next to Me" is genuinely exciting, "Calm Like You" is a new take on Turner's familiar style while "The Chamber" even sees him crooning. The Age of the Understatement is a fine, convincing album that proves Turner's talent is truly adaptable and marks Kane out as a talented songwriter too. --Steve Jelbert

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Customer reviews

review by: markie date: 2008-06-30 rating:
AWFUL
I'd give it a 0 if i could.

it was that bad

it's obvious the band were just put together to get as much sales as possible, the music is awful

if still go n buy it then it's your loss i warned you!

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review by: john glassco date: 2008-06-25 rating:
Shocking
Simply awful. Tired, lazy lyrics which pertain to be deep and meaningful but are woefully convoluted. And just terrible music. Overblown pap.

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review by: date: 2008-06-13 rating:
Voice of a Generation and ..who?
A lovely debut from maybe Britians cutest male duet but is it only famous because of the legacy of Alex Turner?
The strings of Age of the understatement kicks in followed by miltary drums and sweeping strings galore. The pair racing through the lyrics like hurdles. I must say the title track lives to its title it is a big understatement. 2nd track "Standing next to me" makes you feel like your shooshing through the swiss alps in a classic car. With Alex Turner showing that fast indie rock is not the only trick up his sleeve. "Calm like You" is a large swooping landscape yet again with ... yes you guessed it Alex Turner on lead vocals again but an enjoyable song all the least, referring to a realtionship falling apart " I am craving heartbreak as you are making your demands". "Separate and ever deadly now" and whats this? another voice? This must be the Miles Kane the 2nd shadow puppet as he's referred as. Miles earns his stripes in this song showing that he is not shadowed by Alex (Shadowed Gettit? Oh don't worry) The music is now getting quite samey now and dragging on but still a lovely accompiant to the stunning poetry of lyrics. "The Chamber" giving a different slant on a winning formalua with a story of a torture chamber probably? The Highlight of the album being "My Mistakes were made for you"
Strings, Guitar, Brass etc spot on. A chorus of "It was fame that put words in her mouth, she could'nt help but spit them out, innocence and arrogance entwined, in the filthest of minds" Timelessness is the only way to describe "MMWMFY". The remander of the tracks are all the same in the way that there is nothing more to the album than the tracks i've outlined.
If it was only 6 tracks i would have said that the album was a masterpiece. But the other tracks let it down slightly showing that Timelessness is a good thing but trying to the same thing all over an album is not a very good thing.

Andrew Snickett
(1st Review)

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review by: J date: 2008-05-25 rating:
probably best if you like the monkeys
I like Alex Turner's voice so as he sings most of the time he is on to a winner already.
They manage to make the 60s retro sound interesting (Duffy how come you can't). Quirky lyrics well delivered. Not bad at all.
Busy production and orchesteral/big band sounds means it doesn't make it all the way through very often in out house.


review by: richoneill470 date: 2008-05-24 rating:
absolute quality.......
from start to finish. album of the year so far for me , by a distance. great strings , great tunes , great lyrics.

marks out of ten for each track...

the age of the understatement 9/10

standing next to me 9/10

calm like you 8/10

seperate and ever deadly 10/10

the chamber 7/10

only the truth 10/10

my mistakes were made for you 9/10

black plant 8/10

i don't like you anymore 8/10

in my room 9/10

meeting place 10/10

the time has come again 9/10

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