It didn’t take long for Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner to tire of his tightly wound garage-rock outfit, prompting this collaboration with Miles Kane of The Rascals. Their Last Shadow Puppets project explores a different type of drama, resulting in a collection of tunes that plays like the soundtrack to a ‘60s Mod Squad–style caper flick. Despite being recorded in a scant two weeks in France, the album contains surprising ambition and depth, thanks in large measure to Owen Pallett’s orchestral arrangements. While Turner’s rapid-fire delivery is immediately recognizable, Kane brings a more placid outlook to the project, slowing down the proceedings to a mere gallop on the stunning “Standing Next to Me” as well as on “Meeting Place,” a vivid tale of regret that fades into a string-laden conclusion, presumably just as the gallant hero loses the girl of his dreams. ROB DUFFY

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