Don't change the show

 

Miles Kane is an eminently British musician: incredibly talented, with an obvious knack for integrating all the blues and/or soul influences North America provided the world since the second half of the 20th century, all the while retaining an old continent feel to everything he does. All the way down to the accent, and it’s hard to sound like you come from a certain country in songs… But Kane does, quite intentionally: this modern day dandy seems intent on reviving visuals, clothes and sounds of a foregone, Swinging-London-meets-1970’s-glam era. An era that didn’t know what Covid-19, electronic music or even blogging were…

Playing the reference game with Miles Kane is something that works all too well with fourth and latest album Change the Show. Listen to “Tears Are Falling” and the T-Rex / Marc Bolan inspiration is pretty obvious; try “See Ya Wheen I See Ya” and (Sir) Elton John is not very far behind; switch to “Coming of Age” and you’re thrown straight to 1960’s pop à la Ronnie Spector or Brian Wilson (depending if you prefer the wall or wave of sound); “Change the Show” could have been a Bowie tune, if can picture the great David’s vocals in there. And, it may be because the Get Back documentary got everyone straight back into beatlemania mode, but it basically feels like the entire album is an ode to the Fab Four and the decade they changed music forever…

Now, let us try and be balanced here:

• the nostalgic and/or retro feel to this album is a very subtly orchestrated affair. At no time do you get the impression that Kane is merely plagiarising the Thin White Duke, Spector and/or Rocket Man. Instead, each song is written, performed, produced and arranged like a neat separate snow globe, i.e. a very artfully arranged tiny artistic and sonic universe. And that alone is incredibly pleasing to the hear in an era of quick samples and easy hooks: horns are horns, backing vocals are incredibly real, everything feels fresh…
• it’s not all 1967 up in here: Miles Kane is a man of his time — and he’s only 35. You will find a bunch of modern and/or contemporary influences in this album, starting with the elephant in the room, Alex Turner. It may be because the Arctic Monkeys frontman and Kane share a band together (that would be The Last Shadow Puppets) or because they are friends with a lot of common musical interests, the point is many aspects in the way this collection of tracks is structured are quite heavily Turner-inspired. Down to the characteristic drumming sequences or nervous guitar riffs, which is essentially a compliment: the Arctic Monkeys may be the most innovative British rock band of the past 20 years and one of the most interesting — period… You also the get the Blur-ry brit pop stylings a Damon Albarn would probably salute if he was not out there trying to put out a fire he accidentally started with Taylor Swift of all people…

In short, Miles Kane’s Change the Show is not a showstopper (sorry), but it surely functions as a wonderful and stylish break from the otherwise dull and/or downright morose news this January 2022 brings so far!