2. This double spread page is similar to the one that I wish to create, in terms of both layout and style, hence the
reason for my analysis of it. The title, stretching across the two pages, makes no reference to the name of the band
being described, instead referencing an old love song and thus suggesting a potentially humorous article about the
relationship of the two male band members. This is enhanced by the comic sans-esque font – a font usually
associated with wit or humour in its content – and the repeated emphasis on their ‘certain romance’ (also a
reference to one of the band members songs). A pull quote in used at a lower central position within the double
page, with the colour of the font being used contrasting vividly with the harsh red of the sofa – thus emphasising
the largeness and clarity of the quote in order to entice readers into finding out about it within the article, to see
whether it is as enticing as it seems. Subsequently, the two main colours that can be seen are red and white, and this
therefore introduces the fact that – despite the individuality of the band being expressed – the general aesthetic
remains true to the colour scheme associated with NMEs brand identity, and this is something that can frequently
be seen across a wide spectrum of their double page features. Indeed, the fact that certain words are highlighted in
these colours show them as the most important words in order to understand the context of the rather ambiguous
title, and this is also mirrored in the stand-first which provides a continuation of the humour displayed in the
dominant headline. This humour is reflective of NMEs typical mode of address and can consequently be seen across a
large variety of their content, as it also mirrors the casually rebellious aspect of the music genre.

3. Proceeding on from this, the fact that the
name of the band is placed in the top left
hand corner suggests that the reader is
likely to know the band due to their
established position within the
genre, implying that it is not as important as
it would be for a newly famous band. A drop
letter is used to indicate the starting point
of the article and detract attention from the
significant amount of text, and this is also
achieved by separating it into four small
columns stretching across the two pages.
This differs slightly to the usual conventions
of a double page spread, where the text is
pushed to the right hand side of the second
page and descends vertically, as opposed to
being read horizontally as is the case here.
Ultimately, this puts more emphasis on the
main image itself., which dominates the
entire page. At the foreground sit the two
artists in casual sitting positions, while a
huge white, chipped, filthy wall resides in
the immediate background, acting as a
perfect contrast for the mandatory black
font of the text and boldness of the red
lettering. Both the casual positioning and
clothing of the two artists and the rough
looking background are reminiscent of the
music they advocate and the genre itself;
enforcing NMEs attempt to summarise the
music of the Last Shadow Puppets in one
image. This idea is repeated consistently
when artists/bands feature on double page
spreads and is typical of all music magazines
– primarily NME in this case however.

5. The double page shown works more in
conjunction with typical double page
conventions of the magazine and genre. The
serif ‘times new roman’ font indicates that
this specific double page was extracted from
a later issue of NME, as they began to adapt a
more professional element to their magazine
issues/brand identity due to their new older
target audience. Reinforcing this point is the
unconventional use of a rap artist, as opposed
to a typical indie rock band, illustrating how
they are expanding their target audience
parameters and drawing in new fans –
something I’d like to advocate in my own
magazine. Furthermore, the simplicity of the
layout (with the image dominating one page
and the text dominating the other) is
reflective of this new style and follows the
conventions of a typical double page spread.
The lighting of the main image consists or red
and white, from opposing sides of the picture
– this simultaneously emulates the colour
scheme of the magazine and the conflicting
sides to Jay Z’s personality. Also, his stance is
simple and serious, a positioning that is most
commonly affiliated with the indie rock
genre; and this contrasts with the fact that
he is a rap artist. Moreover, the
large, transparent ‘J’ stretched across the
gutter of the second page adds to this with
the contrast of the red and white, almost
seeming to break up the text and make it
more visually appealing to the reader. Drop
letters are also used at the beginning of each
columned paragraph, to the same effect, and
this is typical of all issues of NME
magazine, be it old or new.

6. Moreover, the substantial amount of
text is structured in two paragraphed
columns, which allows for easier
reading but also reinforces the fact that
the magazine is meant for an older
audience. This can be seen in the fact
that the text is not displayed in sections
of text boxes and is not presented
colourfully, indicating the professional
yet vibrant nature of NME’s later
editions. In accordance with this point,
only one pull quote is used in the
double page which the editors have
extracted for the reason that it both
advocates the personality of the artist
and also educates the reader with his
viewpoint; encouraging them to read
the entire article. The interest is
primarily on the music as opposed to
the presentation of the music and this
in itself abides by the typical aims of
the magazine. Likewise, the actual
name of the artist himself is included in
small, highlighted font at the very
second page, and the minimised size of
this title indicates that the figure is
instantly recognisable and therefore
does not need to be introduced. This
also indicates that his music itself is the
primary focal point of both NME and
the artist himself, with no need for
extravagance in aesthetic aspects.