The Duke Spirit

Neptune

Shangri-La Music

originally published April 23, 2008

Recently, a few friends of mine and I broke with our culinary tradition of all things microwaveable to sit down at a table at one of Athens' finer restaurants. As I perused the menu, I experienced a mild sort of private embarrassment as I realized that I had no idea what I was looking at. The ingredients and terms were generally alien; I only had an elementary grasp of what I was reading about. Fine dining just hasn't been part of my palate. Fine records haven't, either.

That's exactly what Neptune is, a fine record. I don't mean that in terms of quality - it's probably above average, definitely not fine in the sense of being "merely adequate." It's fine in its attitude, in its poise. The Duke Spirit appears to be the vehicle for frontwoman Liela Moss, whose vocals possess a silken but strong quality. The performances and tones are spot-on, modern, but with a smart eye for tradition.

"Classy" would be another apt word to describe The Duke Spirit. The mood of refinement never wavers throughout the album, which isn't to say the band can't handle different gears. "Send a Little Love Token" and "You Really Wake Up the Love in Me" boast the sort of driving basslines which are inevitably indebted to the rise of Interpol, but the album's heart lies in its swooning, coy centerpiece "Wooden Heart." The band is certainly at its best mining moments of cinematic poignancy.

With each additional listen, the hooks and charms of Neptune expose themselves through the shadows. It's a tad reserved for my taste, but it's important to remember that music reviews, like any form of critique, always have and always will say more about the writer than the subject. Those with an affection for the finer things will find plenty to enjoy in The Duke Spirit.

Jeff Tobias

The Duke Spirit is playing the 40 Watt Club on Wednesday, Apr. 23.

Ghosty

Answers

Oxblood Records

originally published April 23, 2008

Look to the name of the band rather than the title of the record if you want an indication of what the sophomore album from this Lawrence, KS-based band sounds like. Ghosty is simultaneously frustrating and extremely listenable, weaving filmy, pretty melodies with a few Western touches (the guitars have a bit of twang) that, unfortunately, slip out of your head as easily as they slip in. Singer Andrew Connor has an indie-music voice, soft and earnest but failing with stress; still, the songs certainly improve when vocals are present, as opposed to the jamminess present in “The Underground Factory,” a track that pleases neither the seekers of brief tunefulness nor the real appreciators of an extended exploration of where a melody can go as it noodles on for just under five minutes. Some songs, like “Like a Bad Lie,” are pleasingly Beatles-esque, hitting familiar chords and runs of ascending or descending notes with confidence. While others, like “I Won’t Be Stopped,” show the fuzz-guitar and heavy-stepping influence of fellow Kansans The Flaming Lips, with whom Ghosty has worked, minus the Sunny D-fueled energy of Wayne Coyne. “Junior Grows Up,” however, is a stand-out song, a harmony-stuffed, compact little pop creation that nails down the otherwise frequently drifting nature of the band, focusing on real strengths like the group's ability to play nicely together - no one instrument dominating the sound. Album opener “Dumbo Wins Again” is comparably pretty, but more representative of the general musical landscape of the record: amiable, gentle, with the occasional exceptionally pretty chord created by instruments plus vocals, but ultimately needing a bit more focus - like earlier Apples in Stereo minus the oomph.

Hillary Brown

Portishead

Third

Mercury

originally published April 23, 2008

Ten years ago, Portishead released its second album, the self-titled Portishead, and then disappeared. Burnt out from the hype that had begun to surround the Bristol trip-hop scene, which was compounded by books like Phil Johnson's Straight Outa Bristol and copy-cat music acts like Lamb that emerged after the release of Dummy, the group's debut album, Portishead retired the band to concentrate on solo projects like singer Beth Gibbons' Out of Season. 

The release of Third marks the return of the trio, but fans beware: your expectations of the album's sound are, without a doubt, wrong.  Although Gibbons' lyrics are typically dark and pained, the group refuses to be pigeonholed by the sound that it helped popularize, which works decidedly to its advantage. On the album's most unexpected track, "Deep Water," Gibbons' haunting voice drifts over an acoustic ukulele, singing "I'm drifting in deep waters/ alone with my self-doubt again," creating a raw and avant-garde indie sound that never would have appeared on the first two efforts. 

Gone are the turn tables that producer/ DJ Geoff Barrow used to create the hip-hop inspired backing beats on songs like "It Could Be Sweet" (Dummy) and "Only You" (Portishead). They've been replaced with live drums laden with effects that create the minor-key, psychedelic atmosphere of songs like "Small." Third represents Portishead's edgiest, most intricate work, and proves once and for all the depth of its musicianship. Ten years may have passed, but the result is well worth the wait.

Liz Lawson

Thomas Function

Celebration

Alive-Natural Sound

originally published April 23, 2008

Without a second thought, nothing from the sleepy burg of Huntsville, AL has put me into zero gravity since my adolescent NASA Space Camp experiences quite like Celebration, the debut album from the city's garage-pop overlords Thomas Function. Mellifluously mixing genres like country, R&B, psychedelia and blues underneath a sheen of jangly pop, Thomas Function has crafted a stunning collection of epic, memorable pop that builds up to a stunning release.

Thomas Function doesn't hide its influences. Effortlessly working in the guitar interplay of Television, the multi-instrumentation of the golden age of The Kinks, the sluggish guitar solos of The Stones and throwing in splashes of modern psychedelia, its 13 songs are not entirely original, but unquestionably well-crafted and thrilling. The vocals are even a snotty, southern take on the Verlaine yelp. Thomas Function might have a lot in common with the new wave of dance-worthy pop bands like Black Kids and The Go! Team, but its allegiances belong to the garage before the nightclub.

Many of Celebration's songs have been released on the band's prior vinyl singles, but it's great to see them reintroduced on this album. The songwriting is strong - fears of the future (“Relentless Machines,” “2012 Blues”), crappy romance (“Lights Down Low,” “Can't Say No”), and old-fashioned drug yarns (“Peanut Butter and Paranoia Jam”).

Classically minded rock fans will celebrate the unforgettable arrival of Thomas Function. The guitars keep jangling, the organ and/or electric piano rollicks throughout and the epic buildups climax in explosive rock release. A recent "Liner Notes" bemoaned the death of rock. The members of Thomas Function can't comment at the moment; they're too busy grave robbing. If this is a celebration in Huntsville, I'm ready to party. Bring on the summer.

Scott Reid