I really like the album especially Stsnding Next To Me and I Don't Like You Anymore.

It's okay on first listen and the orchestration is quite impressive. But the quality of the songs are pretty, pretty, pretty poor.

For me, the turn of phrases begin to grate after a while too. The lyrics and the way first verse of "Age of the Understatement" is sung just really winds me up... dunno why, I think it's because it sounds forced.

Anyways, I'm off for a sandwich now...

wasn't overly impressed at first, but it's really, really growing on me.

Miles' pronunciation is a bit annoying, would prefer Alex alone

even if it does remind me of the child or the verve and the arctic monkeys when i like neither.

i've been kind of unimpressed. i've heard it all before and it was done a lot better - i'm sure i've heard half the songs in my mum's '60s records and a lot of the strings remind me of super-glossed belle & sebastian arrangements. the strings at the start of 'meeting place' are quite nice at first, but when the rest of the song comes in i feel it kills it a little.

it feels like alex turner had loads of fun doing that 'diamonds are forever' cover with the arctic monkeys that he decided to do an entire album of slight variations.

i also don't like the impression i get from them. they seem to be quite arrogant with this record, as if it has all been done as a demonstration of alex turner's 'power' and giving his pal a slice of the fame pie.

if it was an album of scott walker covers and other songs from the '60s, i'd prefer it a lot more.

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