The Last Shadow Puppets was formed by Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner and former Rascals frontman Miles Kane, and also features composer Owen Pallett, bassist Zach Dawes, and drummer/producer James Ford. TLSP's debut album, The Age of the Understatement, was released about eight years ago and garnered good reviews, but the band had to take a long break due to other projects and obligations (see: the time of the Arctic Monkeys' instantaneous rise - aka my favorite time.)

But what differentiates The Last Shadow Puppets from the Arctic Monkeys is that TLSP seem to take a more lyrically-centered approach to music as opposed to just focusing on the overall sound of a track. Also, the majestic production of TLSP's tracks clearly sets the two groups apart, and that can be attributed to both Pallett and Ford with their considerable experience and bodies of work that range from Arcade Fire, Klaxons, Simian Mobile Disco, and even the Arctic Monkeys.

Everything You've Come to Expect comes out today via Domino - the same label that put out all of the Arctic Monkeys albums. The songs on the album had been written sporadically over the past few years since the Arctic Monkeys' incredibly successful AM tour had concluded, and were all recorded in legendary producer Rick Rubin's Shangri-La Studio in Malibu, giving them a polished sound.

The album begins with the already released song, "Aviation." If I'm being honest, this track starts off sounding like it belongs in a sci-fi movie rather than in an indie album, but then the guitar hook and Alex Turner's smooth vocals kick in, adding new dimensions to it. Turner's and Kane's vocals during the chorus seem to blend together naturally, as they do throughout the rest of the album.

Other standout songs include "Miracle Aligner," which boasts an upbeat sound and lyrics such as "miracle aligner, go and get 'em tiger," and "The Dream Synopsis," which sounds vaguely like the Arctic Monkeys song, "Only Ones Who Know" due to its relatively restrained vocals and production. Probably my favorite track on the album was "Sweet Dreams, TN," a sweet and edgy song that exemplifies what it is like to not be around the person you love. With lyrics like, "It's really just the pits without you, baby," and (my personal favorite), "It's like everyone's a dick without you, baby," this song has the perfect combination of charm and edge, and is also reminiscent of Roy Orbison.

Although most songs heavily feature Alex Turner's vocals, there were two tracks that allowed Miles Kane to come out from simply harmonizing and instead provide lead vocals - "Used to Be My Girl" and "Pattern." As for the title track, "Everything You've Come to Expect," it had a quality of eeriness that was lacking in the rest of the songs (other than the beginning of "Aviation," that is.)

And lastly, the first single, "Bad Habits," sounded to me like yet another Arctic Monkeys song - this time "Brick by Brick," off the underwhelming fourth album, Suck It and See. It could be good if you want something to amp you up, but the song is a but repetitive and can get to be too much if you're listening to it too often. Other songs that were good, but not necessarily standouts include the amusingly named "Dracula Teeth," "The Element of Surprise," and "She Does the Woods."

All in all, The Last Shadow Puppets did an impressive job with their second album - matching, or even surpassing, the first, particularly considering that there's been so many years of hype and anticipation surrounding the record. From here, we can only hope that TLSP won't go MIA for so long again, and that they might develop their sound and push it further in coming years. 

Their world tour will kick off in the next few days, and below are some of the tour dates and locations. The entire list of gigs and tickets can be found here.

The Last Shadow Puppets Tour Dates 

03/26 – Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall
03/29 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
04/01 – London, UK @ Hackney Empire
04/02 – Liverpool, UK @ Olympia
04/03 – Sheffield, UK @ City Hall
04/07 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
04/11 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
04/15 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
04/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel
04/22 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
06/01-05 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound

Additionally, Everything You've Come to Expect can be purchased here.

Image: Zackery Michael