Album Review: Miles Kane - Colour of the Trap

Miles Kane has been around for a while now; however, he has yet to really make his mark on the music industry. His main claim to fame was as one half of the Last Shadow Puppets with his close friend, Alex Turner.

Many would consider the Arctic Monkeys frontman to be the main draw of the Mercury Award-nominated side-project, yet Miles was arguably as influential to the sound of the Puppets as Alex Turner, if not more. This is evident from the sound of his debut solo album, which evidences a similar sound in many ways to the Puppets album, The Age of the Understatement. Where Colour of the Trap differs though, is that it is an incredibly upbeat and rowdy album compared to the more laid back musings of the Puppets’ debut album.


Kicking things off with the insanely catchy, in-your-face sounds of second single, ‘Come Closer’, Miles really has made a strong debut solo album. It could have been a daunting task for Miles Kane to break out as a solo artist, especially after starting his career in two bands - The Little Flames and The Rascals - before his joint venture with Turner. However, if Miles was feeling nervous about going it alone it doesn’t manifest itself in Colour of the Trap.

This is a confident and highly entertaining debut album, one which will undoubtedly be a hit at Miles Kane’s festival outings during the summer. ‘Rearrange’ - the third single from Colour of the Trap - is another jaunty tune with a constant drum, which is reminiscent of Motown music. After starting the album with two lead singles, Miles could have risked making the album top heavy; however, it is a testament to the strength of the rest of the album that he was able to do so.



‘My Fantasy’ is more laid back than the opening two songs, yet its soothing instrumentals and complimentary guest vocals by ex-Oasis man, Noel Gallagher, make it another strong song. It is followed by the instantaneous chorus of ‘Counting Down the Days’, which is an epic, uplifting chorus that sets off from the bass-dominated verse. Miles Kane’s influences really abound from ‘Happenstance’, where the Scouser duets with French actress Clémence Poésy. Poésy’s vocals are hauntingly beautiful and along with Miles, the duo create a sound akin to one of Miles’ favourite influences, Lee Hazlewood, who often collaborated with Nancy Sinatra. Infectious pop tune, ‘Quicksand’, will certainly be a highlight of live sets, with its quirky beat reminiscent of another Kane influence, Marc Bolan. The first single from Colour of the Trap, ‘Inhaler’, is a belter of a track, which heavily borrows the furious riff from the Bonniwell Music Machine’s song ‘Mother Nature Father Earth’. It is another fitting tribute to the 60s era that is drenched all over Miles’ debut album.

The next two songs, ‘Kingcrawler’ and ‘Take the Night From Me’ were the first two songs that Miles recorded with Gruff Rhys for the album. The tribal beats of ‘Kingcrawler’ are more evocative of the Last Shadow Puppets, whilst ‘Take the Night From Me’ is a rising, almost waltz-like track, which slowly builds to a big crescendo ending. ‘Telepathy’, one of six songs on the album where Alex Turner has writing credits, is further proof that when the Puppets duo come together, good things happen. The riff of penultimate song, ‘Better Left Invisible’, pays tribute to John Lennon’s ‘Cold Turkey’, before closing with the title track. The beautiful, stripped-back, meandering closer finishes the album on a high. It is not a perfect album by any means; however, by wearing his influences on his sleeve, Miles Kane has brought the sounds of the 60s into the 21st century – and that’s never a bad thing. This is a self-assured and impressive debut solo album from a young man who has much more to come.

3.5/5