Download of the Week: The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
For a man with the productivity of a pair of copulating rabbits, it's almost a miracle that Alex Turner's quality control levels remain so high. The A
For a man with the productivity of a pair of copulating rabbits, it’s almost a miracle that Alex Turner’s quality control levels remain so high. The Arctic Monkeys frontman has churned out three albums in the time that Coldplay have managed one – and by all accounts, Turners efforts all far exceed what Chris Martin et al have achieved since becoming household names.The latest is The Age of the Understatement, recorded with The Rascals frontman Miles Kane under the guise of The Last Shadow Puppets. And while his day job remains chief songwriter in Britain’s biggest band, writing anthems for beer boys and Converse clad indie kids alike, The Age of the Understatement sees Turner take a part-time role as the new Scott Walker.A 22-piece orchestra sits at the heart of the record and injects flourishes of Morricone-esque pomp and drama into its veins. Many tracks sound like Bond themes or soundtracks to old films. You certainly won’t find a Fluorescent Adolescent among the horns and strings.There are hints of Arthur Lee’s Love here too, but more than anything else, the feeling that Alex Turner is becoming one of the finest talents in music today.The Age of the Understatement is out now. You can pick it up DRM-free from 7digital for just £5.
Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 