Matt's Track of the Week: "Standing Next To Me"

Song: Standing Next To Me 

Artist: The Last Shadow Puppets

Album: The Age of the Understatement

Year: 2008

The nostalgia factor of The Last Shadow Puppets is unmatched.  Heavily influenced by the sounds of the 60s, The Age of the Understatement takes listeners back to a simpler, more romantic time, whether they originally lived through it or not.  Another thing that's so striking is that their sound is so unlike that of Alex Turner's work with Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane's work with The Rascals.  It's a true side-project for the two that serves as a completely new outlet for their combined creative energies.

Like much of the album, "Standing Next To Me" is infectiously catchy.  This is one of the main reasons why it has been in constant rotation on my iTunes for the past week.  My favorite aspect of it, is how even the vocals sound aged.  It's something that is easily achieved with the right recording technology, but even the melodies feel like a throwback to something you have heard before, but can't quite put your finger on.  There's a sense of warmth to it that can't be explained.  That, coupled with cinematic string arrangements by Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, it sounds like part of a score from a Hollywood classic.  Check it out below.