Album Review: Miles Kane - 'One Man Band'
Miles Kane once again smashes it out the park with the epic new record: ‘One Man Band’. An album that will have listeners hooked from the first seconds.
The singer-songwriter has really returned to his guitar-driven best with the latest release. ‘One Man Band’ boasts some of Kane’s most gripping work to date, with big, fuzzy guitar riffs finding their way into much of the album. Accompanying the instrumental brilliance is a truly admirable vocal performance throughout. Miles Kane has achieved a brilliant sound, maintaining individualit. Having written the record in Liverpool, the singer talked of the importance of having his family around during the process, explaining how they “really helped to bring this out” of him. This is evident and has clearly aided Miles Kane to come up with an outstanding album.
The first offering of the album is the track ‘Troubled Son’, which was gifted to fans as the first single to precede the record. It wastes no time and throws listeners straight into the action. The driving guitar riff has already proved popular amongst fans, and it really has the feel of a huge live track. One that will have crowds bouncing at shows. Certainly the perfect record-opener, ‘Troubled Son’ was also undoubtedly the correct selection for the first single released ahead of the album.
As Kane’s fifth solo album, it’s no wonder that the quality of ‘One Man Band’ is so high. We are dealing with a superb artist who is at the very peak of his powers right now. The record holds great tracks one after the other. The seamless transition from the opening number into the first brand new track ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ is perfect. The singer is relentless, jumping from one track straight into the next. The second track is suspenseful and ear-catching, reaching its climax with Miles Kane singing the title of the number with perfect directness. The message is clear: ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’. This feels almost a message about the rest of the record. The track is short in length, being just over the two-minute-mark. It almost acts as a message for the rest of the material. The confidence is warranted, with the rest of the record living up to this hype.
The title track ‘One Man Band’ was also given to fans in the run up to the record. As a title number, the expectations are always high. Miles Kane has surely surpassed any prior expectations with this one, though. It’s a brilliant number that really feels to be one that joins the singer to his audience. He sings “I’m your one-man band, let me sing about the brighter days”. It really is a unifying moment in the record and it feels as though it could be one of the tracks that becomes one of the artist’s most successful.
Despite the record’s title, it’s clear that Miles Kane utilised his contacts to help him put together a career-defining body of work that really is superb. The sheer energy of ‘Never Taking Me Alive’ is the perfect band-track and is great evidence of the hard work that’s clearly gone into the making of the album. It’s a blistering and urgent number that will prove to be a revelation to those who come across it while listening to the record in full.
Not only are the songs themselves expertly executed, but the order of them-too-feels perfect. The flow from ’Heartbreaks (The New Sensation)’, a track that has absolutely everything, to ‘The Wonder’ which goes from a big, choral opening straight into a funky guitar number is superbly done.
Following this duo of sublimity is another of the singles which preceded ‘One Man Band’. ‘Baggio’ has already become a fan favourite, with its punchy guitar and beautiful melodies.
The record begins to draw to a close with ‘Ransom’ being the first of the final four numbers on a spectacular record. It’s a slower track that seems to draw on all kinds of influences, both past and contemporary. Miles Kane puts his own fresh stamp on it, though, with that signature voice and-of course- an effortlessly cool guitar solo. The change in tempo reflects the closing of the work and it feels to be a track that asks more questions, with the words “I’ve always struggled to find my way” being sung with such honesty. Put simply, the track is beautiful.
There are twists in the tale yet, though. Miles Kane speeds things back up with the upbeat ‘Doubles’, a track that’s rhythm is nothing short of infectious. Its feel-good beat will have fans moving uncontrollably.
After the brilliant number ‘Heal’, the record closes out with the brutally honestly titled ‘Scared Of Love’ which is the only completely acoustic track of the record. It shows the other side of Miles Kane, away from the pumped up, upbeat tracks. It’s the perfect track to close out the record, and it feels so reflective.
‘One Man Band’ is an unmissable record. Miles Kane has surpassed expectations with this one, and it boasts work that will undoubtedly go down as some of his best ever.
Words by Matthew Caslin
