aaamusic | On 26, Sep 2010

The follow-up to 2009’s Nothing Gold Can Stay, Long Live The Duke and The King may be a little less mellow than it’s predecessor, but nevertheless retains the understated feel The Duke and The King specialise in. While opener Don’t Take That Plane Tonight is your classic slow burn melody, and thus not much of a step away from the band‘s debut, don’t write off the rest of the album as more of the same – there’s a lot of range on show here, with elements of blues, rock n roll, soul, and folk permeating every song. The fact that the album is at times a little rough around the edges ends up working in its favour: tracks never feel overly polished and perfect, instead helping to preserve the sense of genuine emotion that worked so well the first time round, and succeeds in doing so here too. An imaginative, well executed second album that proves The Duke and The King aren’t simply one trick ponies.

Author: Katharine Sparks