Miles Kane - ‘One Man Band’ review
Justin Mark Richards
Miles Kane’s new album One Man Band expands upon the indie-rock sound he has established in his earlier albums.
Songs like “The Best is Yet to Come” and “One Man Band” channel the early Arctic Monkeys. The vocals and drumming seem to be influenced by albums such as “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”. As Miles and Alex work closely on their joint project “The Last Shadow Puppets”, these similarities are unsurprising.
The album presents a comforting sound that’s familiar to UK music fans whose radios were flooded with Arctic Monkeys and Indie-Rock throughout the early to mid-2000s.
“The Wonder” is the star of the album. The song sets out with harmonised, almost choral, vocals. These vocals reappear throughout and the melody is only heightened by defined guitar riffs and Kane’s impressive technical ability. The song flexes a strong identity that sets it apart from the rest of the album.
“Baggio” encompasses a nostalgia for boyhood, for our childhood heroes that guide us. The song’s regular drum beat allows listeners to focus on Kane’s lyricism, a poetic ode to the football icon, Roberto Baggio. It’s about finding yourself somewhere else, a boy from Wirral finding passion and inspiration in the success of an Italian. It’s about looking back, and discovering what has been with you all along; for many British people, football follows us throughout our lives, a comforting, consistent presence and loyalty that enlivens us. Kane picks up on this and with rhythmic, repetitive drumming and a constant tambourine he recreates that familiarity in sound.
It is easy to imagine “Heartbreaks (The New Sensation)” playing in pubs across the country, or featuring as the soundtrack to a TV montage. The song is upbeat, with punchy beats and simple lyrics, and filled out with more intricate guitar riffs. “Heartbreaks” risks monotony that is swiftly broken with Kane’s isolated vocals around the two-minute mark. The song recaptures the audience and flaunts the perfect balance of easy listening and innovation.
Kane ends the album with “Scared of Love”, a deliberate choice that slows down the tempo and creates a more pensive atmosphere. He delves into his relationship with love and uncovers his contradicting feelings of both fear and excitement. The echoed, gentle vocals and softly reverberated guitar are reflective as Kane looks back on how far he has come. The contemplative man that wrote this album has evolved from the man that released “Colour of the Trap”. The acoustics honour this journey, and establish Kane as he is now, twelve years later.
One Man Band not only reminds us of 2000s indie-rock but shows us all Kane has learnt until now. How he has expanded his own sound and the personal growth he has undergone, too. It is a celebration of life and learning that will touch the hearts of many.