Change the Show explained

Change the Show
Type:studio
Artist:Miles Kane
Cover:Miles Kane - Change the Show.png
Length:36:52
Label:BMG
Producer:
  • Oscar Robertson
  • David Bardon
Prev Title:Coup de Grace
Prev Year:2018
Next Title:One Man Band
Next Year:2023

Change the Show is the fourth studio album by English musician Miles Kane, released on 21 January 2022 through BMG Rights Management.

Background and recording

Kane had initially finished recording the album in early 2021, but decided to re-record it after an "impromptu collaboration" with Oscar Robertson and Dave Bardon of Sunglasses for Jaws, which made it "a lot less structured". The resulting album takes inspiration from the "'60s and '70s sounds of Motown and Northern Soul".

Critical reception

Emma Harrison of Clash rated the album 8 out of 10 and called it Kane's "most well-rounded album to date", "a deft fusion of genres" and "a deep dive into his musings on life, love and everything in-between". Elisa Cloughton of Gigwise gave Change the Show 8 out of 10 stars, finding it to be a "showcase of what Kane is capable of creating"—a fusion of "Motown and Northern Soul with his usual indie rock sound, which wouldn't necessarily be thought of as a compatible grouping but, boy, does it work".

Matt Collar of AllMusic described Change the Show as "a fizzy mix of vintage-inspired anthems" that "are über-catchy and it's a testament to Kane's decade-mashing skills that, while certainly throwback in aesthetic, the songs never feel dated or overly nostalgic" because of his "good-humored punk swagger and wry sense of humor". Writing for American Songwriter, Lee Zimmerman deemed Kane a "true pop savant, an artist whose dedication to form is echoed in every note of his impressive new album", calling the "energy and exuberance" he found after working with Sunglasses for Jaws "palpable with each of these offerings. That vigor and vitality surge with these songs, giving Kane a powerful presence".

Reviewing the album for NME, Sophie Williams summarised the album as containing "ruminative, lightly experimental songs that seem to be searching for answers", and giving the album three stars out of five, called it a "solid but unchallenging album [that takes] a step towards nowhere in particular". Elvis Thirlwell of DIY also awarded it three out of five stars, pointing out that the "blanketing lime-lit production" and "in-your-face '60s nostalgia [...] may be too cloying for some".