Search - The Duke Spirit :: Neptune

A throwback you definitely won't throw back!

Russell Evansen | Waunakee, WI USA | 08/20/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It seems the 60's are back these days - at least when it comes to music. What with artists like Duffy resurrecting British soul sounds and indie darlings like Conor Oberst and Josh Ritter channeling their inner Dylans, more and more musicians are finding inspiration in the sounds that fueled the latter half of that turbulent decade. This could easily have been a bad thing, but fortunately these folks are all hugely talented, and their music goes far beyond mere imitation.



The same holds true for The Duke Spirit, who sound thoroughly modern while still hearkening back to a 1960's spirit of rock and roll - short, punchy songs with crunchy guitars, pounding drums, memorable hooks, and most of all a smokin' hot (in every way) singer in Leila Moss.



Several reviewers have already commented on the growing comparisons between Moss and the Jefferson Airplane-era Grace Slick, and indeed "The Step and the Walk" could easily pass as a long-lost JA cut from 1967. But Moss has quite a range, and at times her voice may remind you of more contemporary artists like Duffy, or even Hope Sandoval (listen to the opening strains of "Wooden Heart").



Make no mistake, though - the Duke Spirit are a band, not a one-woman show (just as the Pretenders were, even though Chrissie tended to steal the limelight), and the quality of the songs and the musicianship on this record is uniformly good. I would tend to agree with the reviewer who noted that the disc loses a bit of steam at the end, but that may be more a reflection of how great the first several songs are.



My recommendation is to pop this disc in your car player, crank up the volume, roll down the windows and then head out to revel in what's left of the summer of 1968,...um, I mean 2008."

Fresh and original

Joshua Knechtel | New York, New York USA | 01/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I heard Neptune on the local radio station that airs new music. I thought it was worth checking out and I was not dissapointed. The vocalist's voice is sexy and inviting. The music is original while not being contrived. Its simply a great rock album that isn't derivative or a marketing pet project generated to maximize profit.



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