Seattle duo the Dutchess and the Duke aren't exactly reinventing the classic folk wheel, but sunshine-warm cuts like these don't need innovation. With the throngs of "freak-folk" trenders altering—and in some cases butchering—the qualities of the original genre, it's refreshing to hear someone simply grace the sound with a proper treatment. With She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke, longtime friends Kimberly Morrison and Jesse Lortz pay homage to the rougher side of folk and rhythm and blues, and the result is one of the best revivals in recent memory.

The Dutchess and the Duke borrow from the greats of those genres—Dylan, the Stones, the Mamas and the Papas—but they never step on anyone's toes too hard, and a few tracks into She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke, you wouldn't even care if they did. Opener "Reservoir Park" is the catchiest number on the record (which is saying quite a bit). It's also, maybe somewhat disappointingly, about as hard as the duo ever rock out. Not that effortless ballads like "You Can Tell the Truth Now" are any less appealing.

Morrison's honey-sweet coo complements Lortz's brassy croon in what frequently amounts to spot-on harmonic partnership. Onstage, the duo often play with Ruben Mendez of local party rockers Coconut Coolouts and Oscar Michel of the excellent San Francisco psych-rock outfit Gris Gris. With such a lineup, upbeat jams like "Reservoir Park," "Out of Time," and "Strangers" should make crowds forget about that regrettable "freak" happening all together.

The Dutchess and the Duke play Sat Aug 9, Sonic Boom Capitol Hill, 6 pm, free, all ages. Sat Aug 9, Wildrose, 8 pm, $8, 21+.