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Sinking but still treasure

UK grunge rockers The Duke Spirit bring us another slice of retro drone rock with their newest single ‘My Sunken Treasure’. It’s a typical Duke Spirit track; lathered in Americana, brimming with angst heavy lyrics and Friday night alt-rock bar friendly instrumentals. Vocally lead singer Moss almost sounds like a slightly more playful, relaxed Tanya Donelly or Melissa Auf Der Maur but then this has become par for the course with the group.

A strong touring presence and slow burning debut album looked to have put Duke Spirit on the musical map but things seem to have slipped of late and whilst this is a nice intimate little number it’s too heavily steeped in the past to be anything groundbreaking. Belly were doing this (better) fifteen years ago, so unless these guys have something new to throw at us soon I’m afraid their early promise could well fizzle out and disappear; much like so many of their very obvious influences did in the early 90’s.