| Print |

Wednesday, 09 April 2008 07:17

The Duke Spirit serves up their blend of old school guitar riffs and rich vocals by singer Liela Moss with their sophomore effort Neptune.

The most noticeable thing about the Duke Spirit is Liela Moss’s vocals, which sound like a cross between Nico and Janis Joplin. In fact, the entire sound of the band is a reinvention of late 60’s, early 70’s rock. 

The album begins with “I Do Believe,” which is honestly a little creepy, because it consists of a chant that continues until the second track, “Send A Little Love Token,” kicks in. Once they’ve made it there, the band is ready get down and rock. It’s one of the fastest songs on the album, and one that makes you sit up and take notice of a sound that’s familiar but new at the same time.

The third track “The Step And The Walk” is the big single of the record. It’s a great taste of what the Duke Spirit can bring, but not the best song on the album. It also features some killer backup vocals.

Next, “Dog Roses” showcases Moss’ voice, in particular her perfect range and delivery. The percussion is also highlighted on this track, lending a deeper feel to the tune.

The next two songs are the best on the album: “Into The Fold” and “This Ship Was Built To Last.” “Into The Fold” is a faster danceable rock song that shows why the Duke Spirit is one of the better indie rock bands out there. “This Ship Was Built To Last” is a lot slower, but contains one of the best choruses on the album. The contrast of the two songs strikes a perfect contrast on the record.

On “My Sunken Treasure,” piano and tambourine are given center stage. It’s one of those songs you can’t help but sway to. “Neptune’s Call” is one that is a bit of a curveball. It starts off very slowly with Moss’ a cappella vocals, but eventually explodes into The Duke Spirit’s trademark seventies riffs.

Neptune is a very solid album from start to finish. The arrangement of songs is a good balance of slow and fast songs: from straight up rock’n’ roll to slower dance jams. The lyrics stay lodged in your brain thanks to Moss’s singular voice.

I’d highly advise checking them out soon because on the 25th of April they will be on stage with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at the Pageant. It’s a show that you’d be a fool to miss. A | Josh Schobert

RIYL: The Young Knives, Tokyo Police Club, The Kills

Josh Schobert