Music : The Age of the Understatement

Rating: - A bit too arctic monkeys
I'd enjoyed a couple of tracks on the radio, but hearing the album as a whole it starts to become a bit too 'arctic monkeys' - who I don't dislike, but it's just a bit too strident, and not enough 60s-ness.

Nice enough in small doses, but if you don't like alex turners voice you'd hate it.

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Rating: - Wonderful 60's style sentimental lovelyness!
I must admit I was cynical initially but I loved the Opening track 'The Age of Understatement' and was hooked after hearing 'Standing next to me'so brought the CD. Its an album full of lush strings,feelings and warmth.The songs border on the 'lovely' and are well crafted. Love the vocals esp on 'meeting place' and The time has come - both such 60's sounding film tracks. I'm a fan of metal and Rock ( Dillinger Escape Plan and Deftones ) but this album is so 'sentimental' that it will melt the most hardened metal heart- as its done with me- call me a big softie why dont you?

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Rating: - AWFUL
I'd give it a 0 if i could.

it was that bad

it's obvious the band were just put together to get as much sales as possible, the music is awful

if still go n buy it then it's your loss i warned you!

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Rating: - Shocking
Simply awful. Tired, lazy lyrics which pertain to be deep and meaningful but are woefully convoluted. And just terrible music. Overblown pap.

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Rating: - Voice of a Generation and ..who?
A lovely debut from maybe Britians cutest male duet but is it only famous because of the legacy of Alex Turner?
The strings of Age of the understatement kicks in followed by miltary drums and sweeping strings galore. The pair racing through the lyrics like hurdles. I must say the title track lives to its title it is a big understatement. 2nd track "Standing next to me" makes you feel like your shooshing through the swiss alps in a classic car. With Alex Turner showing that fast indie rock is not the only trick up his sleeve. "Calm like You" is a large swooping landscape yet again with ... yes you guessed it Alex Turner on lead vocals again but an enjoyable song all the least, referring to a realtionship falling apart " I am craving heartbreak as you are making your demands". "Separate and ever deadly now" and whats this? another voice? This must be the Miles Kane the 2nd shadow puppet as he's referred as. Miles earns his stripes in this song showing that he is not shadowed by Alex (Shadowed Gettit? Oh don't worry) The music is now getting quite samey now and dragging on but still a lovely accompiant to the stunning poetry of lyrics. "The Chamber" giving a different slant on a winning formalua with a story of a torture chamber probably? The Highlight of the album being "My Mistakes were made for you"
Strings, Guitar, Brass etc spot on. A chorus of "It was fame that put words in her mouth, she could'nt help but spit them out, innocence and arrogance entwined, in the filthest of minds" Timelessness is the only way to describe "MMWMFY". The remander of the tracks are all the same in the way that there is nothing more to the album than the tracks i've outlined.
If it was only 6 tracks i would have said that the album was a masterpiece. But the other tracks let it down slightly showing that Timelessness is a good thing but trying to the same thing all over an album is not a very good thing.

Andrew Snickett
(1st Review)