The long-awaited second album by the Last Shadow Puppets has arrived, and while the duo of Miles Kane and the Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner croon once again on this record, their songs are infused with a darker, sharp edge this time around. Their smart, acerbic and elegant pop is built upon Turner's evocative lyrics and buoyed by Owen Pallett's string arrangements.
Opener "Aviation" has an insistence and jangle to it that draws listeners in immediately, especially when coupled with Pallett's ominous string arrangement, while "Dracula Teeth" features warm bass juxtaposed by dark vocals depicting "threatening behaviour." The title track evokes the visuals used for the record's singles — shot on a pristine beach — courtesy of watery vocals that find the duo guessing that "the coastal air gets a girl to reflect." Turner and Kane up the pace with "Bad Habits," an explosive and concise number that lets its angular strings and raucous guitar do the talking.
Though "Pattern" stands out with its soaring strings and forlorn lyrics, the latter half of the album is more homogenous, meaning that the album doesn't end with the bang it should, but it hardly outweighs the good here. The Last Shadow Puppets excel when they craft attention-grabbing pop with lush arrangements and unique lyrics, and they mostly do just that on Everything You've Come to Expect.
(Domino)Opener "Aviation" has an insistence and jangle to it that draws listeners in immediately, especially when coupled with Pallett's ominous string arrangement, while "Dracula Teeth" features warm bass juxtaposed by dark vocals depicting "threatening behaviour." The title track evokes the visuals used for the record's singles — shot on a pristine beach — courtesy of watery vocals that find the duo guessing that "the coastal air gets a girl to reflect." Turner and Kane up the pace with "Bad Habits," an explosive and concise number that lets its angular strings and raucous guitar do the talking.
Though "Pattern" stands out with its soaring strings and forlorn lyrics, the latter half of the album is more homogenous, meaning that the album doesn't end with the bang it should, but it hardly outweighs the good here. The Last Shadow Puppets excel when they craft attention-grabbing pop with lush arrangements and unique lyrics, and they mostly do just that on Everything You've Come to Expect.
