The Duke Spirit // Bruiser
It takes a strong-willed man to tell the hypnotic beauty of Liela Moss that you want a little less of anything from her, or indeed her band, The Duke Spirit...
The Duke Spirit – Bruiser (Fiction Records)
It takes a strong-willed man to tell the hypnotic beauty of Liela Moss that you want a little less of anything from her, or indeed her band, The Duke Spirit. That bravery comes from qualified ears though, and it was super-producer Andrew Scheps (Metallica, Red Hot Chilli Peppers) that told the band he wanted to hear less of everything on their early demos for third album, ‘Bruiser’, to get to the core of their new creations. The band took it on board wholeheartedly, and the result has been a concise LP that has just a few elements that are firing on all cylinders. On initial listens, the power of the drums is at the forefront, giving it drive, with the crazed guitars and Moss’ vocal pushing and pulling you through the rest of the song. ‘Surrender’ and ‘Everybody’s Under Your Spell’ provide brilliant singles, with strong melody and strong attitude permeating them both. Acclaim has been easy to come by for The Duke Spirit, but commercial success in this country evades them – with this, their confident 3rd album, it may be an imminent bedfellow for this explorative London band.
8/10 Ergo
The Duke Spirit – Bruiser (Fiction Records)
It takes a strong-willed man to tell the hypnotic beauty of Liela Moss that you want a little less of anything from her, or indeed her band, The Duke Spirit. That bravery comes from qualified ears though, and it was super-producer Andrew Scheps (Metallica, Red Hot Chilli Peppers) that told the band he wanted to hear less of everything on their early demos for third album, ‘Bruiser’, to get to the core of their new creations. The band took it on board wholeheartedly, and the result has been a concise LP that has just a few elements that are firing on all cylinders. On initial listens, the power of the drums is at the forefront, giving it drive, with the crazed guitars and Moss’ vocal pushing and pulling you through the rest of the song. ‘Surrender’ and ‘Everybody’s Under Your Spell’ provide brilliant singles, with strong melody and strong attitude permeating them both. Acclaim has been easy to come by for The Duke Spirit, but commercial success in this country evades them – with this, their confident 3rd album, it may be an imminent bedfellow for this explorative London band.
8/10 Ergo
