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One half of The Last Shadow Puppets, the best dressed man in rock ‘n’ roll or The Wirral’s own ‘Modfather’. However you want to describe Miles Kane there is no doubt that after his promising debut solo album Colour Of The Trap there is certainly some anticipation as to where Kane goes with his follow up album Don’t Forget Who You Are.
Opening track ‘Taking Over’ sets the stall for what is to come. The old-school fuzzy guitar intro that features throughout is as catchy as they come and certainly gets things going for the ex-Rascals front man. The album has been produced by ex-Lightning Seed Ian Broudie, who also aided the writing process and arguably his most notable contribution is the title track and lead single ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are.’ The choruses stomp along to a la-la-la sing-along that will have festival goers and mods singing in unity long after his live sets ends.
Driving guitars and euphoric choruses are the order of the day on this album and Kane continues to produce those in-yer-face tracks that hark back to better musical times. The Paul Weller co-written number ‘You’re Gonna Get It’ is going to really please those sharp dressed men that follow these two mod icons. From The Jam-like guitars to the bobbing-head beat, it has all the components you expect from a song that brings Weller and Kane together.
It has to be said, Kane doesn’t get it all right on the album, the hazy acoustic musings of ‘Fire In My Heart’ certainly don’t bring out the best attributes of the Liverpudlian. With the country-tinged piano and pretty basic lyrics it is a song that seems out of place on the album. It is a song so contrasting to the highlight of the album, 'Inhaler'. It was the first new song to emerge back in February and still holds more than its own on the album.
Despite album closer ‘Darkness In Our Hearts’ apparently borrowing the opening riff from ‘Last Nite’, the colossal indie track from everyone’s favourite converse wearing New Yorkers The Strokes, it still works. It’s a driving number that sums up the record so very well, that being a collection of no-nonsense, modern rock anthems.
