One of indie rock’s golden boys is back with new material. Just in time, too. Sunlight in the Shadows is a lovely album which captures those colder, autumn charms. Not only that, but it provides some stock for the inevitable Colour of the Trap celebrations next year, when the album will celebrate its fifteenth anniversary. Contrasting fixtures between the two shed a light on just how well Miles Kane has grown as an artist. His work with fellow city legends Alex Turner and Richard Hawley on Death Ramps is a niche worth exploring. Fifteen years on from kickstarting his solo career and Kane has found a sound which blurs the line between his pop commitments and deeper artistic grooves. Sunlight in the Shadows is a chance to separate him from the pack of indie-adjacent guitar music. That is still the theme of this release, but it has a sincerity lacking in many modern-day offerings from bands singing of the lash, the freedom of the night, and all those comical shortcomings.
Kane has a coolness to his work here which lingers in the classic guitar solo structure of 1970s rock and roll. He shows off his hand with a welcome confidence on album opener, Love is Cruel. A magnificent start to the album, and it’s not long before Kane starts bringing on a sound that marks a very best moment in his career. Short, punchy, and crucially sweet, the repetition of those blue skies and hopes for a brighter tomorrow are utterly crucial to Kane’s work across Sunlight in the Shadows. Instrumentally warm works are the best part of this studio offering. You can fall back onto the comforts of broader indie rock guitar but there are a few jolts, a collection of subtle surprises in place, which keep Kane from drifting too far into generic qualities. Electric Flower is a delightful pairing of heartfelt lyrics and soft instrumental innovations. It’ll be enough to convince even the doubters of Kane as a class act.
Tremendously catchy and consistent work is what makes up Sunlight in the Shadows. Temptations in love and hopes of a brighter future are what guides almost every song, and it’s a fitting message to have in these worrying times. Kane adapts it well on songs like Without You. It’s a thorough album, one which has its mix to thank for bringing out the best in these instrumentals. Spirited, honest performances matched by a huge overhaul in the studio. Crucial to all this loudness, all these instrumental explosions, is Kane cuts through with an honesty and heartfelt style. His lyrics are strong, ranging from crucifixions of the heart to those simpler, balladeer stylings. It’s a nice mixture from Kane, whose best works are when he lets the fuzz of his guitar and left-field instrumental additions, like on Blue Skies, take control.
Sunlight in the Shadows has a few moments where it lingers on the nostalgic feel and appeal of those early Arctic Monkeys albums. It’s not a comparison Kane is keen to stick with, but it comes through almost subconsciously on the upbeat sway of My Love. Catchy thrills are what Kane is best at but on Sunlight in the Shadows there is evidence of his deeper charms, that ability to strike a balance between the inevitable appeals to a wider audience and the intimacies which bring out the best in his work. Where Sunlight in the Shadows may peter out in its latter moments, there is a fantastic selection of songs within, highlighting just how strong a voice Kane is. Slow Death and Blue Skies are magnificent standouts, commendable efforts from an artist with much more to give. Kane has a bit of that Lowedges cut to him, the motorcycle and promise of cool rock and roll Hawley gave twenty years ago.
