Review Summary: Not bad for a debut, but just too average...
Miles Kane. Some might know him as the other half of the Last Shadow Puppets, a side project by Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys. What? Miles Kane has his own band as wel?The Rascals, apparently. Could be interesting...
The problem is, it is not very interesting. The Rascals' first album is just not good enough to keep you busy for a long time. The band creates some nice tracks, sure, but it just doesn't seem to be more than 'average' songs. At a first listen, the album appeals to you, and makes you think it's a really good first effort, but when you hear it again, you can only come to the conclusion that it is not actually that good.
Furthermore, The Rascals are missing their own personality. It would have been a wiser decision if they had brought out their first album before 'The Age of the Understatement'. Turner's and Kane's voices complement perfectly in that album, but Alex Turner is vocally stronger, and unconsciously put Miles Kane on the background. This makes Kane seem as a kind of little brother to Turner, and people will still be only be interested in the Arctic Monkeys, unaware of the presence of the Rascals.
However, 'Rascalize' does show that the band is certainly talented. With more experience they will be likely to create a better second album that will help them gain the popularity that will be unable to achieve with their first effort.
