Miles Peter Kane is an English musician, best known as a solo artist and the co-frontman of the Last Shadow Puppets. He was also the former frontman of the Rascals, before the band announced their break-up in August 2009. His fourth album `Change The Show` is released this month and follows `Coup De Grace` which was released three years ago.
The album opens with `Tears Are Falling` which is a bit of an odd ball. A quite contemplative but out there offering with a piano key opening, rolling drumbeat, occasional guitar chords and vocals that are almost whispered at times with some sweet backing vocals and brief saxophone tinges. A rapidly beaten bongo drum and spoken-word segment from Lily Savage (comedian Paul O’Grady’s former drag persona) leads us into `Don’t Let It Get You Down` before some delightful vocal harmonies add to the mix, alongside a few saxophone blasts. The singer joins and his delivery is quite gentle and restrained. It has a captivating retro rhythm and blues texture and you could almost see this appearing in one of Guy Richie`s Gangster movies.
`Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough` features r & b, neo soul singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae on this almost Northern soul collaboration. A joyous uplifting tale of boy meets girl and how that early romantic interlude effects each of them. The two singers blend wonderfully and you feel a certain warmth in their deliveries. A highly infectious number that reminded me of some of the interplay between Paul Weller and Dee C Lee in The Style Council tracks. There`s a much more laid back relaxed feel to `See Ya When I See Ya` which enjoyed some delicious guitar chord riffs throughout. I felt there was a Beatlesish vibe about it and it reminded me a little of `Our House` by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young but a little faster paced.
I read that `Never Get Tired of Dancing` was written with Simon Aldred of Cherry Ghost after Miles and Simon enjoyed a boozy night out, returned to Miles’ house, put on the Best of Motown, moved the furniture, and danced until dawn. It does have that uplifting retro ambiance that Motown records excelled in. I have to admit that I really loved Holly Quin Ankrah harmonic backing vocals. To me there was a real Dexy`s Midnight Runners vibe, that is to say when they were still searching for those young soul rebels to `Tell Me What You’re Feeling`. The song came together during lockdown when the singer got talking to his near neighbours, the psych-rock duo Sunglasses for Jaws, who invited him to their studio when restrictions eased and a version of the number was formed. A tale of escape where again Ms. Ankrah`s vocals were a delight.
`Coming of Age` is another number that I felt had a nostalgic feel and could have come straight out of the sixties beat period. We enjoy some brief teasing resonating guitar chord riffs on route and dreamy harmonies. I`m led to believe that the Diamond Dogs-era Bowie influenced the title track `Change the Show`. A number written after the singer was incensed by the negativity and injustice reported on the morning news. The saxophone blasts throughout were a real stroke of genius and you could almost feel the anger in the singer`s vocal delivery.
`Constantly` is another number that had a period feel with a distant drumbeat and oscillating guitar chords leading us in as breathy vocals relate a song that could have been pulled straight from the sixties. It wasn`t quite a doo-wop submission but was heading that way. There is a quite infectious constant rhythm running throughout `Caroline`. A song that seems in praise of a partner and encouraging them to fulfil their dreams even if it means the pair`s relationship faltering. A real toe tapper of a track.
The album closes out with `Adios Ta-ra Ta-ra` and the singer has admitted that it’s a playful nonsense about confidence, a bit of fun. It may be a little throwaway to the singer but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were some captivating guitar chords, horns and enticing harmonies. A positive and quite mesmerising piece to end on.
There was so much to enjoy on `Change The Show` and it seemed to be a much more mature offering from this artist. I know he`s moved from Los Angeles to Bethnal Green and this album does have a more British maybe London centric sensibility to it. The brilliance of bassist David Bardon, drummer Oscar Robertson, multi-instrumentalist Joao Mello on sax and piano and Holly Quin Ankrah adding backing vocals really brought this artists vision to life.
A real return to form for Mr Kane.
Rating 9/10