The Duke Spirit - Bruiser

Sun 16th Oct, 2011 in Music Reviews

English alternative-rock outift The Duke Spirit have finally resurfaced with their third album Bruiser. Despite adopting a reasonably simple, by-the-book approach, the band manage only a slight flirtation with the direct, punchy disposition their album title suggests.

The Duke Spirit insist upon a belligerent yet steady rock grunt right throughout Bruiser, the album rarely rising above a dull, unimposing throb. Though serviceable, such an approach begins to suck much of the spark and ingenuity from the record, creating few possibilities for its direction. Its brooding tones tend to eventually bleed together, rendering distinction between songs difficult. This, essentially, gives insight into Bruiser and its biggest problem: to select the album’s pinnacle is too great a challenge in all the wrong ways, owed largely to such an inherent monotony. Bruiser is an album of broad brushstrokes: logical, straightforward and with few surprises in tow. There’s an odd sense of self-assurance about it all, one seemingly ill-conceived.

The lack of spontaneity wouldn’t normally matter, except for the fact that The Duke Spirit appear helpless within their current paradigm. It’s a killer catch twenty-two: despite indulging in the exact hallmarks that ought to aid in an enjoyable alt-rock approach – textbook hooks and melodies dealt liberally – there’s actually precious little that survives in memory once Bruiser is done and dusted. It’s one of those albums that doesn’t quite have sufficient staying power and obviously not through lack of trying. It’s almost as if you can hear what they’re attempting, making the fact that it doesn’t quite stick all the more frustrating.

Bruiser presents a case of so close, yet so far, its pitfalls largely innocuous bordering on inexplicable. It seems obvious enough, though, that The Duke Spirit must next time take a definitive risk in one direction or another, as another Bruiser – an album with the impact of a gentle graze more than anything – would be inexcusable. Ultimately, the twist here – the one most infuriating, perhaps for any band or artist – is that, no, the record’s not great, though it’s far from horrible either. Bruiser is simply fine, any flagging vital signs owed to a slightly unmemorable collection of songs. The Duke Spirit can shake the trend, but it will take some true moxie, an element noticeably absent here.