Miles Kane – One Man Band

Miles Kane has been at the heart of the UK indie scene since 2008, initially as part of The Rascals, before finding his biggest commercial and critical success alongside Alex Turner as part of The Last Shadow Puppets. Kane has been a prolific solo artist since 2011, with his fifth record One Man Band following hot on the heels of the Motown and Northern soul-inspired Change the Show, released in January 2022, which earned some of the best reviews of his solo career. Anticipation is naturally therefore high for his latest, which shifts direction back towards the sound of his first couple of albums: The Colour of the Trap and Don’t Forget Who You Are.

One Man Band sees Kane return to his roots, with 11 energetic tracks that all come in close to or under the three-minute mark: perfect for a festival singalong – something Kane does best.

Troubled Son is an energetic way to kick things off and wouldn’t be out of place on Kane’s earliest LPs. The Best Is Yet to Come is a relentless rock ‘n’ roll number at just over two minutes that sets his intentions.

The title track offers a glimpse of Kane’s prowess as a guitarist – something that is often overlooked – with a fuzzy intro. One of the ambitions of this project was to be more stripped back and real, and it is a welcome departure from the more experimental sounds of the past couple of albums for fans wanting more of an indie sound. To his credit, he slips seamlessly back into a sound he has veered away from, showing his dexterity as both a musician and songwriter.

Baggio is a clear highlight, starting more laid back before building into more out-and-out rock and recalling his work on The Last Shadow Puppets’ debut. Ransom also has a softer edge to it, putting Kane’s vocals at the forefront, proving this is far from simply a collection of pure indie rock and has plenty of depth and variety on display.

There is a further demonstration of this on the album closer Scared of Love, built around the vocals and an acoustic guitar, a rapid departure from the sounds of the earlier part of the record but in keeping with the introspective nature of the lyrics. There is clearly a feeling of expansion across the album as Kane does some soul-searching, adding a sense of conviction to the material and giving it a more personal edge.

While closer in sound to his earliest solo work, One Man Band offers far more than a nostalgic look back: it shows an artist who is keen to stretch himself and reflect on what got him to this point, acknowledging the various styles he has tinkered with to-date in an album that is sure to please his fans while offering plenty for more casual listeners. This is a rollicking indie record that will no doubt go down a treat with a live audience and captures some of Kane’s most understated qualities throughout.

Christopher Connor
Image: Charlie Salt

One Man Band is released on 4^th August 2023. For further information or to order the album visit Miles Kane’s website here.

Watch the video for the single One Man Band here: