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+.
