The Duke Spirit- ‘Cuts Across The Land’ (Polydor) Released 16/05/05

‘Cuts Across The Land’ has an intensity that is of the gut muscle pulling kind, with a rhythm that has a lot in common with physical, sweat pumping passion. The incessant beat is pounded out and combined with vocals that have just the right breathless edge to them defies anyone not to take notice of it. ‘Stubborn Stitches’ is of the same quality and is a simple thrash it out sound that has the feel of the band playing in your front room.

‘Darling, You’re Mean’ is one of those love songs that by turns caresses and kicks. It also is a great vehicle for the Leila’s voice to show what you can do if you’ve got the talent. ‘Win Your Love’ is an amalgamation of sixties phsycadelia and harsher rock riffed edge. ‘Hello To The Floor’ comes at you in waves of excellent music that swell around you to produce an ultra laid back, slow motion feeling. This is only built on and complimented by the seductive vocals.

‘Bottom Of The Sea unfortunately suffers from a repetitiveness that borders on monotonous, only picking up in the latter part of the number and then just because the vocals drag everything else with them. The guitar seems to be very reluctant to go in that direction. ‘Fades The Sun’ combines the tremulous and tremendous with The Duke Spirit show how tight they can be in performing this number.

‘You Were Born In side My Heart’ despite its heavy line does nothing to excite. ‘Lion Rip’ on the other hand has fantastic rhythm that is exploited to maximum effect. Vocally seductive, musically raw this is an exceptionally good number, unlike ‘Lovetones’- a mix of sixties and seventies styles that’s too light in tone and served up in an almost casual manner. ‘Love Is An Unfamiliar Name’ is a vocally driven number hat achieves just the right combination of melody, rhythm and freshness. Once heard this one won’t be forgotten. Unfortunately the final song ‘Red Weather’ takes too long to heat up to be as good as some of the other servings on this menu, but does finally go out on a high.

The Duke Spirit have produced an album that musically doesn’t stray too far from a formulaic sound, and this is the albums weak point. There’s too much of the same thing going on. But it’s one that works for them courtesy of Leila’s vocals, which sounds like a combination of Chrissy Hynde, Kirsty McColl and Dusty Springfield. That is where this bands quality lies.