Album Review: Miles Kane, Sunlight In The Shadows

With three albums in four years, Miles Kane is keeping things hot. First, there was the Motown-doused, Northern Soul-charged Change The Show; then the back-to-basics rock and roll of One Man Band; and now Sunlight In The Shadows.

Written and recorded with Dan Auerbach in his native Nashville, the record features the Black Keys frontman and producer on every track, as part of a guitar posse that includes Nick Bockrath of Cage The Elephant (shortly to support Oasis), and Barrie Cadogan of Little Barrie, along with contributions from fellow Black Keys alumnus Patrick Carney.

Cut live, in less than a week, the record is the sound of Kane and Auerbach having a blast, as they tear through the T.Rextasy of ‘Electric Flower’, and the self-described “Clint Eastwood and Judy Garland in the desert at dusk” of lead single ‘Love Is Cruel’.

Miles likes the odd cover, and they nail the proto-punk of The Flamin’ Groovies’ ‘Slow Death’, while also matching the the Californian garage-rockers on the wonderfully slouching ‘Coming Down The Road’ and scuzz-rocker ‘Blue Skies’.

Elsewhere, ‘Always In Over My Head’ and closer ‘Walk On The Ocean’ channel the lounge-pop of Burt Bacharach to perfection.

8/10