The Dutchess and the Duke - She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke (Hardly Art)

Critics are reaching to cast this duo as a pre-rock star, blues-based band that harkens back to Keith Richards before his face was a roadmap of hell. It doesn’t seem necessary since the first Duke and Dutchess album is something we forgot existed in the era of the 3-song album: a tight 10-track indie album replete with stompers, shredders and clap-alongs, but without a duff track to be found. “Reservoir Park” and “I am Just a Ghost” show two-sides of this royal pair, one starts out with a driving 60s psych sound while the other starts forlorn and slow. They both turn on the juice with hot guitar passages by mid-song. Loads of boy-girl call and response along with some only marginally freakish folk to round out the top shelf tracks like “Strangers,” “Prisoner” and “Out of Time.” An album that creeps up on you like late July kudzu…

In recent news: The Dutchess and the Duke will be opening up for James Jackson Toth of Wooden Wand on August 29th at the Gravity Lounge. I will be the first fanboy on the right.

Listen to Reservoir Park

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