(Courtesy of Domino Records.)
Side project is not a term most artists like to use. It smacks of secondary status, sort of like that other astronaut who drew the short straw and stepped onto the moon after Neil Armstrong. (What was his name again? My point exactly.) Moreover, record labels don’t always allow for such ventures unless the main project is at least moderately successful and even then, it’s an uphill battle. Luckily for Alex Turner, moderately successful doesn’t even begin to describe the commercial and critical heights his band Arctic Monkeys has scaled. Ever since their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not became the fastest-selling debut album in Brit chart history, Turner has assumed his place at the forefront of the independent music scene.
All of which would make this side project, The Age of the Understatement, easy to write off if the music wasn’t up to snuff. But with Turner and Miles Kane (that other, less famous Shadow Puppet) mining an orchestral pop genre that hasn’t been popular since the 60’s and bringing along a bagful of melodies catchier than an oversized beach ball, this debut is a fresh and invigorating listen that simply refuses to be deflated.
The opening title track immediately sets the tone for the album with a thunderous string arrangement, a tireless military beat and lyrics that not only prove themselves worthy of such dramatic flourishes, but also seem to encompass all the major themes of the album: love, passion, anguish, and denial. It’s a song that, along with a few others on the album (“In My Room”, “Calm Like You”), sounds as though it could be the next Bond theme.
In terms of wordplay, Turner has matured from writing about such juvenile matters as underage drinking (from 2006’s “Riot Van”: “I’m sorry, officer / Is there a certain age you’re supposed to be / ‘Cause nobody told me”) to pointed observations on doomed love (from “Calm Like You”: “Summertime made promises / It knew it couldn’t keep / The fairytale was climbing up / A mountain far too steep”). Perhaps having another lyricist to collaborate with/compete against has enabled Turner to push past the bitterness that enveloped much of last year’s underwhelming Favourite Worst Nightmare.
And yet, there is more to this effort than just great lyrics. Owen Pallet is as big a reason for this album’s success as either of the young songsmiths. By writing ambitious string arrangements that swell and swoon in equal measure, Pallet redefines the role of the orchestra in British rock.
Still, as impressive as the music is, there is something else very special happening with this release. Alex Turner is 22 years old, and starting with Arctic Monkeys’ debut in 2006, he’s now written three albums in three years (as well as a few EPs), with rumors of yet another Arctic Monkeys album due later in 2008. Judging by the pace at which his contemporaries release their work, this makes him one of the most prolific songwriters of our time and actually makes The Age of the Understatement seem that much more of a success.
Plus, looking at that album cover, I can’t fault them their taste in models…
All of which would make this side project, The Age of the Understatement, easy to write off if the music wasn’t up to snuff. But with Turner and Miles Kane (that other, less famous Shadow Puppet) mining an orchestral pop genre that hasn’t been popular since the 60’s and bringing along a bagful of melodies catchier than an oversized beach ball, this debut is a fresh and invigorating listen that simply refuses to be deflated.
The opening title track immediately sets the tone for the album with a thunderous string arrangement, a tireless military beat and lyrics that not only prove themselves worthy of such dramatic flourishes, but also seem to encompass all the major themes of the album: love, passion, anguish, and denial. It’s a song that, along with a few others on the album (“In My Room”, “Calm Like You”), sounds as though it could be the next Bond theme.
In terms of wordplay, Turner has matured from writing about such juvenile matters as underage drinking (from 2006’s “Riot Van”: “I’m sorry, officer / Is there a certain age you’re supposed to be / ‘Cause nobody told me”) to pointed observations on doomed love (from “Calm Like You”: “Summertime made promises / It knew it couldn’t keep / The fairytale was climbing up / A mountain far too steep”). Perhaps having another lyricist to collaborate with/compete against has enabled Turner to push past the bitterness that enveloped much of last year’s underwhelming Favourite Worst Nightmare.
And yet, there is more to this effort than just great lyrics. Owen Pallet is as big a reason for this album’s success as either of the young songsmiths. By writing ambitious string arrangements that swell and swoon in equal measure, Pallet redefines the role of the orchestra in British rock.
Still, as impressive as the music is, there is something else very special happening with this release. Alex Turner is 22 years old, and starting with Arctic Monkeys’ debut in 2006, he’s now written three albums in three years (as well as a few EPs), with rumors of yet another Arctic Monkeys album due later in 2008. Judging by the pace at which his contemporaries release their work, this makes him one of the most prolific songwriters of our time and actually makes The Age of the Understatement seem that much more of a success.
Plus, looking at that album cover, I can’t fault them their taste in models…
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