Customer Reviews
self-indulgent and flawed but fun 
2008-06-05
It sounds like the 2 are having a lot of fun with these tunes and I applaud these very young musicians for looking backward to the music of the late 60's/early 70's. There's a wry irony in most of the lyrics that adds a modern edge. Indeed the singing and lyrics are the best parts of the CD. Honestly, I wonder if these songs would have benfitted from a little more time in the oven. In particular, the flat mixing has a muddied sound to it that limits every single track. Was this done to sound like the 70's? Perhaps but it doesnt quite work. The 2 collaborated on a couple of B-sides for the Actic Monkeys and those tracks are more memorable than anything we get here. I'd really like to see them perform these tracks live and without the symphonic instruments. I suspect it would improve things across the board.
Great Scott...Holy Hollies 
2008-05-09
This is a rare find: A duo music experience paying virtually NO regard to modern diametrics and demands. The sound of this music is filtered through a haze of 60s influences (the Hollies, The Walker Brothers) distinctly credited, duly noted ...and equally delivered as a ready made classic for anyone interested. I can only hope that those interested will harp on the music's beauty, value and artistry in a way that impacts modern tastemakers.
Huh? Try it. Buy it. And don't "why it" to death for how it is out of time. Make it IN time.
And if that fails to convince just buy it for the cover. I wenmt to see the movie Blow Up because of the movie poster back in the mid-60s. the experience defined my life and my life in relationship to a generation. this music could do the same to any equally impressionable young music mavens looking for the best next thing.
Back to the Past 2008-05-07
(3 & 1/2 stars) This CD has a nice retro feel. There's a lot of the Walker Brothers in there (a stated influence), but I also heard an occasional Moody Blues sound in the songs' orchestral choruses. I thought most of the tunes were semi-fun throwbacks to the '60s (except for such relatively unlistenable cuts as "I Don't Like You Anymore" and "Only The Truth"), but the band & this disc have two major problems. First, the songs are relatively mundane, lacking any real degree of catchiness. It's sort of like a bunch of 2nd-rate Yardbirds or Zombies out-takes or something. Second, it's very hard to imagine this '60s-ish music generating any degree of interest in today's rock-buying public, at least in the USA. There are a few other problems, such as some bad song outros, especially the bizarre, spacey-spooky coda on "The Chamber," which undermines any impact the song may have created. I mildly enjoyed listening to this CD as an historical exercise, but I don't expect it to have any lasting value in the 21st Century.
Symphonic Monkeys!! 2008-05-06
Last Shadow Puppets is a UK duo comprising Miles Kane of the Rascals, and Alex Turner of The Arctic Monkeys. Their album has already hit #1 in the UK and their lead off single "The age of the understatement" has hit the top 10 so I guess Alex has another band to fall back on should he have to give up the day job.
Their sound is similar to that of the Monkeys (Arctic Monkeys, I mean) but less jagged, more mellow, and more symphonic, thanks to the presence of a 22 piece orchestra, resulting in lush pieces like the horn sprinkled beauty "Meeting place" or the almost jazzy "My mistakes were made for you".
They also do upbeat very well; "The age of the understatement" and the theatrical "Only the truth" (with a horn-filled coda) both have a galloping feel and could fit into a Western epic, while "Seperate and ever deadly" has a marching band feel and raging guitars.
Other standouts are the swinging "The chamber" (with a symphonic coda), the similar "Calm like you", the sunny, retro sounding "Standing next to me" and the closing tender acoustic ballad "The time has come again" with a dreamy sounding chorus.
This is a very lovely album, think of it like a symphonic Arctic Monkeys.
Orchestral spaghetti western pop epics! 2008-07-16
Yeah its purely late 60s orchestral pop yeah its Morricone meets Scott Walkers 4 album- Yeah its Loves "alone again or" meets "Andy warhol" by David Bowie. Yeah its easy to hear who these two are paying homage to but simply put its brilliant. There are songs here that have such great hooks great orchestration and blissful energy especially the one two punch of "The age of the understatement" and "Standing next to me". In the new millenium this is just to obscure or retro to really capture a generation of kids raised on emo and bad radio rock. If you know your music history and dig the idea of Morricone jamming with british pop hooks with a 60s bent then this is something you must get immediately, I happen to love this - the drumming is fantastic the almost spanish styled acoustic guitars colliding with twangy western style guitar lines just hits all the right spots. The vocals from Artic monkeys frontman(?) Alex Turner and the lyrics all conjure some sort of urban Western. Despite being retro this is beefed up and alittle tougher than the 60s variety that ive mentioned and its all an improvement in my eyes. This is one of those records thats great while driving on a hot summer day with a long road ahead of you. One of the best records of the last ten years.
Age of the Understatement 2008-07-10
The last shadow puppets have a great debut with this album and his sound kind brit-retro, is refreshing and have a great rythim
SHOCKING! 2008-07-05
Being an Arctic Monkey's fan I was curious about this release. I checked out a vid on youtube and was blown away. Tony Hatch meets Ennio Morricone with a venomous wit in the voice. Way more "over the top" then any of the "Lounge/Soul/Retro" acts today it succeeds in it's bombast and satisfies with each listen. It may borrow from the past but this is NEW music that is as exciting as it's predecessors, if not more. Owen Pallet (arranger) and James Ford (producer) are unsung heros that need to be watched. This thing is massive, I hope they take it on the road.
underrated 2008-06-12
im think this is a great cd. im not that crazy over the artic monkey, i see this cd get 3 stars on most reviews, om mind its 4-5, and i know what im talking about!!!i've been listen to music foe 48years im 58 , go uk.
great CD, great price 2008-06-08
This is a great CD!! Slightly less "heavy" or "rock" than arctic monkeys and more "acoustic" to be sure. Last 3 tracks are the best, but they are all good. Check out some singles on youtube.com if you are unsure about buying.
