Spring '08 is seeing the A-listers of rugged indie rock get brazen--from the Black Keys' Danger Mouse collab to the Kills' playground-music concept piece. London's Duke Spirit gets in on the fun by tightening up its miasmatic assaults, offering melodies that are clearer but not a bit cleaner.
Sadness and redemption; death and rebirth - such are the themes on The Duke Spirit's long awaited second album "Neptune." After a year spent touring America in 2006 – taking in everything from broken limbs (Toby in Las Vegas), getting all their gear stolen (Portland) and visiting rock landmarks (the MC5's old HQ in Ann Arbor), the band could have been forgiven for writing an on the road album worthy of Jack Kerouac. But for a group influenced by European art and culture as much as Route 66, there were always going to be deeper depths to explore.