CUFF THE DUKE play the Horseshoe November 25 and 26. See listing. Rating: NNNN
Cuff the Duke lead singer Wayne Petti has said that the Toronto four-piece’s fifth album deals with the loss of a loved one and the change that brings, and that it’s the first of two, this being the low and the eventual follow-up the high.
But while a bitter loneliness is evident in the lyrics, the music is anything but bummed out. You could argue that it’s one of the band’s more accessible and feel-good efforts, actually, with a surging, sweater-cozy production style courtesy of Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor. Multi-part harmonies crackle behind Petti’s nasal croon, while bits of mournful pedal steel, warm organ and hot guitar leads hit the mark.
The eight-minute Bound To Your Own Vices sees them get impressively ambitious, while lead single Count On Me evokes hazy 60s psych-folk, albeit countrified. Standing On The Edge, meanwhile, already sounds like a classic.
Top track: Count On Me
