Rating: ★★★★½
Before giving in to a dear friend’s suggestion, I hadn’t heard much about The Dutchess and the Duke. Sometimes a lack of knowledge is precisely what you need to come across a brand new album with open arms, awaiting the approach of greatness. Thanks Corey.
Here is some background information, though limited. The band hails from Seattle, although they resemble very little of that signature sound. Currently, they are touring our nation in support of Fleet Foxes. Apparently, they’ve been friends for a long time. That’s about all I’ve come across.
The opening “Reservoir Park” immediately brings to mind the Rolling Stones, which isn’t a bad place to start off an album. The chorus, with dual harmonies, is absolutely perfect. I believe that this song is going to be in my Top 5 Singles of the year. I’ve placed it their already.
After opening appropriately, they switch it up–they go off sounding more like a product of Nashville or Louisville, filled with American traditional country pop goodness. The interplay between Jesse Lortz and Kimberly Morrison on the following songs is precisely what makes this so special. I feel like it’s everything that She and Him were built up to be, but here it’s much more real–much more authentic.
“Strangers” has them returning to that Stones flavor. It’s everything you want in a song, with both singers harmonizing the whole way through the song. There isn’t a bad thing to say here. And they follow that up with “Back to Me,” a song about trying to recapture that great love of your life. Sure, its cliche, but the earnestness wins you over.
And all of a sudden, they bust out the ghost, well soul really, of Bob Dylan. ”Mary” is the perfect song at this moment because it switches the sound, though not too much. The band maintains their personality here, keeping the album interesting. This band has an arsenal of classic musicians to reference, but never once does it feel as if they faked it.
The album closes with “Armageddon Song,” which, for me, is the exact ending I wanted to this album. It’s an acoustic affair full of harmonies and whistling–its the song where they seem as if they’ve completely shed their influences, just to let you in closer to themselves.
Despite wearing their heroes on their sleeves, The Dutchess and the Duke have created a wonderful debut album; this is one that is sure to hold up as one of your favorites for a long time to come. Don’t take my word on it; please please please listen.
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Download: reservoir_park.mp3
I’ve been following this band recently, and now that they have a release date for their album (September 9th in the UK) I thought I would throw it out for a listen. I expect some really solid tunes from this album, and I can’t wait until it gets here. Just another reason why September is shaping up to be a good month, musically. 
