Mercury Month: Last Shadow Puppets

Who: Miles Kane from The Rascals and Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys (winners in 2006) teaming up for this stylistically different side-project

What: "Age of the Understatement", an apparently semi-conceptual album that sees the pair going epic and retro all in one

Why: Well let's put it this way - if I had a choice between The Last Shadow Puppets and either of their "everyday" bands, I'd choose this side-project. I really wasn't that keen on their first single "Age of the Understatement" but I think "Standing Next to Me" is definitely a grower. I still can't get past Alex Turner's voice, which I find doesn't have much soul or heart in it (actually I'm under the impression that he can't sing) but yet this is still more deserving than the Monkeys' "Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not". No-one has ever won the prize twice (even though I think PJ Harvey has been robbed of this accolade on several occasions) - can he make history and win it with two separate bands? We'll just have to wait and see. At least if this pairing wins I won't be bitterly disappointed like I have been for the last couple of years.