The Last Shadow Puppets is a side project of Arctic Monkeys lead vocalist, Alex Turner and Miles Kane, lead vocalist for The Rascals borne of a friendship mented during the Arctic Monkey’s 2005 UK tour. The duo’s debut album, The Age of the Understatement, is a futuristic throw back to 60s pop, with an epic sound fit for a James Bond movie.

Each song is a swelling, cinematic ballad. Combined with the perfect balance of sexy, dark, and brooding, The Age of the Understatement has an added level of maturity to its pop sensibility. Turner’s voice is edgy with a slight dissonance, while Kane’s has a smooth crooning timbre, together they meld their voices, shifting between subtle discord and soft harmonies.

The first single, “The Age of the Understatement” is representative of the underlying angst that also characterizes the album. With a full and galloping sound, the song marches on about a woman who seems much like Carmen Jones or Helen of Troy. She is seductive, cunning and dangerous; enough so to start a war. The woman is likely a metaphor for anything that would lead you astray with deception.

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