Colour of the Trap- Miles Kane
I know I'm late reviewing the album, but being honest I didn't really paid attention to Miles Kane until a friend showed me a video past November, after he was announced as the support act of the
Arctic Monkeys at their gig in Barcelona. Which is sad, because I was missing a very good one. Not anymore.
Yes, it has been said and stressed every time Miles Kane's name is mentioned. The shadow of his
pal Alex Turner is huge (he's credited on six songs of the album as co-writer). But as i cannot really judge to which extent the
Arctic Monkeys' leader has been helping, I will focus on the tunes, because there's plenty to choose and enjoy here. Put your best clothes on, practice your best, seductive looks, and prepare yourself to the coolest image of the 60s. We're not reinventing the wheel, but fun is guaranteed.
The album opener is ridiculously addictive. "
Come Closer" and "
Rearrange" are superb retro indie-pop tunes, easily among the
best songs of 2011.
Marc Bolan,
The Kinks,
Paul Weller, "Wooahs" and "ahhs" to inject blood to the biggest stadium (you could learn something
Chris Martin), crunching guitars and unstoppable melodies. Certified and deserved hits. And before we discover the "trick", Kane offers a brilliant change of path with the charming "My Fantasy", joined by
Noel Gallagher in backing vocals. What a terrific start.
The second trio of songs doesn't start as promising, though. "Counting Down the Days" is an ok tune, but is too "cool" for its own good, or maybe too devoted to
The Last Shadow Puppets, lacking a bit of punch. Luckily, "Happenstance" appears immediately to restore the situation and the vibe of "Colour of the Trap" with a sexy, fun, and irresistibly catchy, "low-light" duo between Kane and French actress
Clémence Poésy ("Harry Potter", "In Bruges"). "Quicksand" comes next, with its, poppy, playful and carefree vibe. We reach half of the record, and by then we are seriously hooked by "Colour of the Trap".
A furious guitar precedes the controlled storm of "
Inhaler", a piece of indie-rock paired with soul-infused backing vocals and a sense of urgency that I can define in just one word: stunning. The review, kind of a treaty on the styles of British indie-pop, adds a a new chapter, the psychedelic, with "Kingcrawler", co-wroted with
Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), where the insidious percussion and the cracking chorus will knock you down. Unfortunately, the record keeps spinning with "Take the Night From Me", a pompous ballad that is completely forgettable and hurts the album as a whole.
The last section of "Colour of the Trap" starts with "Telepathy", another great song, that would fit on a Tarantino movie, fuelled by the appearance of Alex Turner. With "Better Left Invisible" I can't achieve the same level of enthusiasm, having the feeling it doesn't fulfill what promises. And finally, we end the album in a high note with "Colour of the Trap" a wonderful ballad with just one problem: it has Turner's dna written all over. It would fit perfectly on his "
Submarine" soundtrack. But anyway, with just a real
faux pas and a couple of "fillers", Miles Kane debut as a solo artist can only be praised as an addictive, enjoyable and really inspired album.
SCORE: 7,25/10
Lower Dens. Just when I heard "Brains", first song of their second album, "Nootropics", out this spring, the Primavera Sound announced them among the line-up. Baltimore based, this is the band of Jana Hunter, a great folk artist (and guitarist), that worked with Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic (Vetiver). After a hiatus, Hunter returned to "music" in 2009, releasing "Twin-Hand Movement", Lower Dens' debut LP, in 2010. And what a record this is. Atmospheric, epic yet introspective, misterious, colorful, dreamy, instrumental yet compelling when Hunter's soaring voice appears, tense but placid at the same time. Like a guitar-driven's "Teen Dream", ethereal, but a bit closer to you after each spin. 
Lost Lander. Although a new band, behind Lost Lander there's the mastermind of Matt Sheehy, from the really recommendable group Ramona Falls. Besides, the just released debut album, "DRRT", has been produced by Brent Knopf, Ramona Falls frontman and former member of Menomena. The combination of both forces makes this album very special. Indie folk-pop are the barebones of the songs, embellished and propelled to something lush and atmospheric, with a mesmerizing production. The result is hypnotic, with many contenders for the best songs-of- the-year lists inside. 
