#miraclealigner

come on miracle aligner, 

Single of the Year...

A single is chosen specifically to garner as much of an audience as possible and to draw listeners in for an album. This chosen song is thought of as the album’s best selling point, or at least the best representative of the larger picture. Personally, when it comes to picking my favorite single of the year, I like to go with one that impacted me in some sort of commercial or direct way, whether through radio or other means. 

A great single breaks through to a somewhat larger audience and with radio being (for the most part) an absolute joke, the best way to hear a great single nowadays is through the various Late Night programs that litter the airwaves. I’ve thankfully never sat through a single second of James Corden’s show, but hey, his show gave us this amazing performance of a great song, so there’s that. 

Singles usually impact me in a different way than LP’s, for they offer a brief respite and to be honest, some of my favorite singles over the years have been from groups that I normally don’t listen to all that much (or whose albums I don’t spend much time with). 

Now with all that out of the way.......this year’s Single of the Year goes to “Miracle Aligner” by The Last Shadow Puppets. There’s no way around it, it’s just a great track that checks off all my boxes when it comes to a great 7″. And while the song itself is fantastic, it was further helped by the way it was presented by the Puppets back on April 19th.....

“Miracle Aligner” is just a fantastic and emotionally sweeping pop song which harks back to the days of yore musically, as well as lyrically. Don’t let the retro vibes lull you into thinking that “Miracle Aligner” is pure pastiche, because Alex Turner and Miles Kane are studious enough to evoke Bond-sian charm without the overwhelming fetishism that so many bands succumb to.  

It’s all there: the swag, romanticism, and raw charisma which would all be for naught if it weren’t for the bed of organ, swelling strings, and six string precision. The open bloused cooing of Turner matches the musical arrangement to a tee, culminating in the perfect pop song.

The song itself reached new heights when performed live, as seen above, and absolutely solidified itself upon viewing. Yes, “Miracle Aligner” is a great song in its own right, but there’s something extra spectacular seeing it performed on American late night television by such a debonair performer as Alex Turner. 

“Miracle Aligner” is easily the best track on the Last Shadow Puppets’ new LP and this live version is even better. How can one not be drawn into Alex Turner’s world of playboy charm, songwriting chops, and chateau lounge abouts….which is all one can really ask for in a great pop single........