Puppet Show

Since they first surfaced I've been a pretty huge fan of the Arctic Monkeys, so when I heard some months ago that Alex Turner got involved in a side project with the lead singer of the lesser-known Rascals, Miles Kane, I was immediately intrigued.

When I first listened to 'Age of the Understatement,' the initial single of the EP of the same name, it seemed like an Arctic Monkeys rehash of sorts, which wasn't necessarily a disappointment to fanboys like myself, but after listening to the rest of the EP, and the LP that followed, there is a distinct sound present in the Last Shadow Puppets that separates itself from Turner and the Monkeys.

While the vocals are similar because that's the way he sings, there is definitely a 60s 'Baby I'm Yours' vibe to the album, and when listening to 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' alongside 'Age of the Understatement,' the differences become more evident.

'Nightmare' has a metal-edge, but still retreats to some pop-infused beats with "Do the Bad Thing," while 'Understatement' is increasingly somber, especially on tracks like 'The Chamber' and 'My Mistakes Were Made For You.'

One of the great things about the Arctic Monkeys is their ability to bring their act to life on stage in front of an audience. When the Last Shadow Puppets come to New York in October for their one of their only US gigs, it will be interesting to see whether this new sound will translate as well live.

The last time I saw the Arctic Monkeys, it was at Hammerstein in front of a sold out crowd. With just over 30 days to go until they play NY, tickets remain available. I expect this first show to be similar to the Raconteurs first couple shows---where a built in fanbase shows up because of one factor, potentially expecting a certain thing. Now one could argue that the White Stripes were a much more well known band when Jack White joined the Raconteurs than the Arctic Monkeys were when Turner hopped into the Last Shadow Puppets---and that is especially true in the US. But, the dynamic of this type of crowd and this type of show will more or less be the same. This is a band that nobody has heard live before, playing a pretty large venue---it could go either way.