Miracle Aligner

"Miracle Aligner" is a song by English baroque pop band The Last Shadow Puppets released on 28 March 2016, through Domino Recording Company.[2][3] The song was included on their second studio album, Everything You've Come to Expect (2016). Written by frontman Alex Turner, singer-songwriter Alexandra Savior, and produced by James Ford, "Miracle Aligner" is a baroque pop, soul-pop, and sophisti-pop track. Savior described the song as being "obviously about a coke dealer."

"Miracle Aligner"
Single by The Last Shadow Puppets
from the album
Everything You've Come to Expect
Released28 March 2016
Genre
Length4:05
LabelDomino
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)James Ford
The Last Shadow Puppets singles chronology
"Aviation"
(2016)		 "Miracle Aligner"
(2016)
Music video
"Miracle Aligner" on YouTube

The accompanying music video was directed by Saam Farahmand, and shot at Hotel Café Royal in London. The video is the last part of a trilogy entitled, "The Italian Saga", and features Turner and Kane in an empty ornate room, dancing in a choreographed manner, while being observed by a film crew. It was released on 15 May 2016, and is the band's most popular video. The Last Shadow Puppets performed the song on television shows such as Le Grand Journal and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Background and release

Turner had the idea for the song and a few chords, he shared them with Kane, who responded "positively."[4] He said the beginnings of the song were "really old,"[5] and that the idea "had always been around" and "came back in the end."[6] When writing for Alexandra Savior's debut record she and Turner completed the lyrics. They didn't feel it fit on her record, so Turner brought it back to Kane and "ended up being under the Shadow Puppets umbrella."[4][7] On rejecting it, Savior said the song is "obviously about a coke dealer - it's a lifestyle that I didn't relate to myself."[8] In another interview she added, "It always felt like it was more Alex's song though. He was totally in love with the song. [...] I'm just happy that the song saw the light of day. It's great to be involved in music that's so well received."[9] The song was premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 Radio show, where Zane named it his "World Record" for March 28, 2016.[10] The duo jokingly claimed the song was inspired by a "yoga teacher" and a "make-believe wrestler."[11]

Composition

Musically, "Miracle Aligner" has been described as "honeyed soul-pop"[12] and "sophisti-pop".[13] On this song, it has been said the album is at its most "lush" and "seductive."[14] The song has a "breezy melody."[5] Instrumentally, it makes use of "tremolo-heavy guitars."[15] The chorus has been said to be reminiscent of Turner's work with Arctic Monkeys.[16]

Music video

The music video for "Miracle Aligner" is the last part of a trilogy entitled, "The Italian Saga", directed by Saam Farahmand. It has been described as "A tale of Italian organized crime, love and music in stunning Italian 60s cinemascope".[17][18] It was shot at Hotel Café Royal in London,[19] and first released onto YouTube on 17 May 2016.

The video begins with Kane and Turner standing in a balcony while rose petals fall from the sky. A dialogue, dubbed in Italian, occurs between the two, where Kane asks "What's this?", to which Turner responds "This...This is an attempt to extract truth...approximately." In the next shot, now inside an empty ornate room, Turner and Kane stand in front of each other, wearing cream coloured suits and looking extremely tanned, an allusion to the events shown in the Aviation and Everything You've Come to Expect music videos.[20] Turner and Kane start dancing across the room. A circular dolly shot reveals they are being observed by a film crew. They keep dancing in a choreographed manner while looking into the camera. The video ends with the film crew leaving while Kane and Turner, now looking at each other, keep dancing. Turner kneels on the ground, Kane embraces him, and both collapse on top of each other.[21]

Personnel
The Last Shadow Puppets
String section
  • Leah Katz, Rodney Wirtz – viola
  • Richard Dodd, John Krovoza, Peggy Baldwin – cello
  • Eric Gorfain, Marisa Kuney, Amy Wickman, Daphne Chen, Gina Kronstadt, Alwyn Wright, Chris Woods – violin
  • Ian Walker – contrabass
  • Sara Andon – flute
Additional personnel

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[23] 23
France (SNEP)[24] 199
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[25] 180

References
  1. "Listen to "World Record: The Last Shadow Puppets - "Miracle Aligner"" posted by Zane Lowe on Apple Music". Apple Music. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  2. "Listen to The Last Shadow Puppets' new song 'Miracle Aligner'". NME. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  3. "The Last Shadow Puppets – "Miracle Aligner"". Stereogum. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  4. Eliscu, Jenny (1 April 2016). "The Last Shadow Puppets: interview Sirius XMU Sessions". Sirius XM.
  5. Perry, Kevin Eg (22 January 2016). "Alex and Miles' guide to the key tracks on the album - The Full NME Cover Interview". NME.
  6. "Listen to "World Record: The Last Shadow Puppets - "Miracle Aligner"" posted by Zane Lowe on Apple Music". Apple Music. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  7. "Listen to "World Record: The Last Shadow Puppets - "Miracle Aligner"" posted by Zane Lowe on Apple Music". Apple Music. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  8. "Interview: Alexandra Savior on her upcoming debut album". Coup De Main. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  9. rock, Kate (1 June 2016). "Interview mit Alexandra Savior: Die Schönheit der Melancholie". Fast Forward Magazine (in German). Archived from the original on 23 April 2023.
  10. "Listen: The Last Shadow Puppets - "Miracle Aligner"". Under the Radar. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  11. "The Last Shadow Puppets share dreamlike new song "Miracle Aligner" — listen". Consequence of Sound. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  12. Nicolson, Barry (23 March 2016). "The Last Shadow Puppets – 'Everything You've Come To Expect' Review". NME. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  13. Rudh, Jake (5 January 2017). "Transmission's Top Tracks of 2016". The Current. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  14. Hermann, Andy (28 March 2016). "The Last Shadow Puppets Joke Around About Everything, Except Their Music". L.A. Weekly.
  15. Petridis, Alexis (24 March 2016). "The Last Shadow Puppets: Everything You've Come to Expect review – more a smirking in-joke than a band". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  16. Ryan, Aidan (1 April 2016). "The Last Shadow Puppets – Everything You've Come To Expect". The Skinny. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  17. "The Italian Saga". Black Sheep Studios. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023.
  18. "NEW WORK: TLSP "EVERYTHING YOU'VE COME TO EXPECT"". Fixer Films. 10 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  19. "The Last Shadow Puppets 'Miracle Aligner' by Saam Farahmand". Promonews. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  20. "Watch The Last Shadow Puppets' 'Miracle Aligner' video". Domino Records. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  21. "The Fey, Italian Vibes of The Last Shadow Puppets' "Miracle Aligner" Video". Culled Culture. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  22. Helman, Peter (10 January 2015). "The Last Shadow Puppets – "Bad Habits Video". Stereogum. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  23. "The Last Shadow Puppets – Miracle Aligner" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  24. "The Last Shadow Puppets – Miracle Aligner" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  25. "CHART: CLUK Update 9.04.2016 (wk14)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
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