CD of The Week

The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You’ve Come To Expect (Domino)

All the way back in 2007, Arctic Monkeys singer Alex Turner and up-and-coming UK rocker Miles Kane formed a new side project, The Last Shadow Puppets. The pair released one album, 2008’s The Age of the Understatement, which placed their ‘00s Brit-rock sound up against sweeping, cinematic strings. As the Monkeys’ popularity has grown since then, especially in the States, it seemed like The Last Shadow Puppets were just a one-off group.

So it was a bit of a surprise that Turner, Kane and producer/drummer James Ford reconvened for a follow-up record eight years later. Everything You’ve Come To Expect certainly lives up to its name. If you dug the sound on the first album, they haven’t done much to switch things up a second time around. The album kicks off with “Aviation,” built around a great Johnny Marr-ish guitar line from Kane. Other highlights include the eerie “Dracula’s Teeth” and lead single “Bad Habits,” which is punctuated by stabs of violin and lively guitar work by Kane. Last Shadow Puppets allows Turner to highlight the crooning, leering aspects of his voice, especially on songs like the menacing “She Does the Woods.” “The Dream Synopsis” is a ridiculously on-the-nose title for a song which lyrically is exactly that. I did like that Turner notes his bandmate Kane was in his dream, alongside “some kid I went to school with.”

Overall, the songs on Everything You’ve Come To Expect eventually blend together. As I said, the LSP’s don’t really mix things up sonically and essentially stick to the same moody, string-laden sound. But it’s a unique sound in 2016 and if you’re an Arctic Monkeys fan, it’s a must-hear.

The Last Shadow Puppets play a sold out show at Union Transfer this Sunday night.

**Donate $20 or more to Y-Not Radio this week to receive a copy of Everything You’ve Come To Expect as our thank you gift. Click here for details.
Review by Joey O.