Rock ‘n ‘roll drenched in downtown soul, elevated by 60s-inspired beats and guitar-driven passion, ‘Sunlight In The Shadows’ is exciting in every aspect.

“All roads, over 20 years, have led here”. A rejuvenated and venturesome Miles Kane recently paired up with new label, Easy Eye Sound, and compared to 2023’s ‘One Man Band’, there’s a sense of satisfaction on this album that shines through (the shadows). 

It’s as though he’s had ideas zealously bottled up, and with the help of producer Dan Auerbach, he’s recorded one of his most primed and immersive albums to date.

Given the new sonic direction, it’s no surprise he’s pair up with Auerbach, of The Black Keys, known for their forward grooves and distinctive rhythms. Distorted guitars on the album’s title track and the infectious bassline on ‘I Pray’ have clear hints of The Black Keys’ fuzztoned ‘El Camino’. Auerbach plays on every track and contributes backing vocals throughout. 

Furbished glam-rock paired with American soul grounds the album’s brooding side on ‘Without You’, with vocals on ‘Electric Flower’ carrying a strong hint of Marc Bolan as Kane sings in a mellow, playful manner, like the T.Rex frontman, over a Motown beat. ‘Blue Skies’ follows suit but with the bonus of a sizzling guitar solo midway.

‘Sing A Song To Love’s initial snare-hits drive momentum with Kane’s voice blurred as he howls and squares right up to the mic with an igniting stamina. Auerbach says the whole album has “a whole mess of guitar players doing the most simple, interlocking parts” and the energetic spontaneity stirs up a similar raucous to 2018's ‘Coup De Grace’, the type that gets an audience wired.

Slow, finger-plucked, Led Zeppelin-esque chords lull you into ‘Walk On The Ocean’, before a hip groove arrives, smothered by groaning, electric guitars. The funk continues with ‘Love Is Cruel’ and the knee-jerking ‘Coming Down The Road’ (“I can’t tell if I’m eggs or bacon / I’m all greased up and my legs are shaking”) where percussion overlays the electronic inflections and blends with Kane’s playful demeanour - packed with energetic “WAAH”s as he challenges the riffs to out-scream him.

Also included is a slowed down, funked up version of Flamin’ Groovies’ ‘Slow Death’, which fits the album perfectly but was in fact more of an add-on: enthusiasm for ‘Sunlight In The Shadows’ caused Kane to finish recording early, so with their remaining studio time they decided to record a cover.  

‘Always In Over My Head’ brings the pace down a little as Kane pats the sweat from his forehead for gentle psychedelia that hints at late-‘60’s Beatles. It’s reminiscent of past, and much-loved, tracks like of ‘Colour of the Trap’ and ‘Ransom’. The album was recorded almost completely in live takes, fuelling the bluesy, instinctive sound that stretches throughout, providing a notable fluidity whilst staying cohesive to the overall mood.

Splicing some of the best sounds from both sides of the pond spectacularly pays off. At no point does it sound hollow. This album has been crafted by some of the best members of the UK’s indie scene. It’s not just a homage to Kane’s favourite musicians; he’s absorbed their traits, admired their talents, and used that to craft authentic, adventurous sounds.

‘My Love’ is melancholic with chapter-closing lines like, “This ship is finally sinking”, that makes it a heartstring-tugger. The suggestion is that Kane has comes to terms with leaving something unfulfilling, but the depth of this album shows he just needed to find the right place to pour some love into.

‘Sunlight in the Shadows’ showcases Kane’s enthralling, rock-star charisma.  And shows that, when he’s eager for a new direction, he delivers, and this could be his best yet. Anticipation is now building for the live renditions.