The Age of the Understatement

A startlingly assured album from a very British super group, fronted by Arctic Monkey Alex Turner and best pal Miles Kane of The Rascals, and very ably produced by James Ford. Bursting with retro touchpoints, it mixes Scott Walker-style ‘60s pop with the pair’s distinctly deadpan lyrics and filmic orchestrations. The spaghetti-western grandeur of lead single “The Age of the Understatement” sets the tone (and thrilling tempo), while “Standing Next to Me”’s swooping pop melodrama and the delicious lull of “My Mistakes Were Made For You” make you wish this was a more frequent gig for Turner and Kane.