Alex Turner’s latest foray into music, with partner-in-crime (and look-alike) Rascals’ frontman Miles Kane and James Ford (one half of Simian Mobile Disco), channels the Russian winter, ‘60s dancehalls as well as Kane’s former project The Little Flames.
An elaborately produced album, The Age Of The Understatement is eerily atmospheric, thanks to the brilliant string arrangements of classical prodigy Owen Pallett (the talent behind Final Fantasy and many Arcade Fire tracks) delivered by the London Metropolitan Orchestra. The music bible that is NME announced the collaboration in August 2007, causing much media hype and excitement. Unlike many of the Arctic Monkey spin-offs, Turner had his tongue inserted firmly in cheek when naming this album The Age Of The Understatement, amongst all this aforementioned hype. Once the Arctic Monkeys smashed former records by having the highest selling debut album in British music history in 2006 ( Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not ), and delivering an unassuming sophomore effort ( My Favourite First Nightmare ), Turner was clever enough to look elsewhere for victory.
First single The Age Of The Understatement begins the album with marching drums and scratchy strings, something that reminds me of the music my Russian relatives worshipped, or perhaps the soundtrack of a James Bond film. It was no surprise then that the video clip was shot on location in dreary, snowy Moscow. Second track Standing Next To Me is more The Stairs than James Bond, a song impossible to dislike. The horn section is given a workout to wondrous results in Calm Like You, brilliant pining lyrics wallowing amongst waves of strings. More Arctic Monkeys innocence can be heard in tracks Separate And Ever Deadly, I Don’t Like You Anymore and My Mistakes Were Made For You; whereas Turner’s marvelous story-telling is best on display in The Chamber, depicting a woman’s inner battles (“You must admit that you are the instigator, hanging onto arguments, cornered by yourself”).
Western-style horns add bombast to Only The Truth, a rollicking tale of love lost, closely followed by the definite Bond-styling of In My Room. The immense cinematic effect of the opulent arrangements would be lost if not for Turner’s ironic storytelling and inventive delivery – a verse may not always precede a chorus, a chorus may open a song then never again appear, for example.
The vocals of Turner and Kane meld seamlessly, perhaps heard best on Meeting Place, a sweeping romance between building strings and a heartbeat bassline. This is a personal favourite, as it shows the maturation of Turner’s songwriting as well as his adept grasp upon what music could be today. Although this side project may not have caused the crazed ‘next-Oasis-hype’ of The Arctic Monkeys, The Age Of The Understatement is anything but understated. It’s a pompous, uncompromising production that is full to the brim of solid tracks, making it hard to admit that Turner isn’t onto a good thing here.
