Indie Folk, Very Nice!! RIYL: The Dutchess & The Duke
(Review from Citizen Dick)First, I’ll go on record as someone who has eagerly devoured all past material of The Dutchess & The Duke. Since 2009′s Pitchfork Festival, I’ve been closely following all material, and this all sort of swan dived after a fairly drunken (while still endearing) show the duo put on in Cleveland. It didn’t surprise me to see Lortz eventually moving off into his own thing. All of that said, let’s face it, D&D harnessed at least a sliver of its intrigue with the off-kilter use of contradictory gimmick, particularly the upbeat southern-fried anthems that came off playfully morose. There was a juxtaposition in every D&D track, and while I still dig it, any listener had to go into it understanding that the dichotomy of fun, bluesy folk and dark lyricism was part of the reason it worked.
Listeners can now shed this idea and enjoy Case Studies, front man Jesse Lortz’s new solo project. The World is Just a Shape to Fill the Night (out August 16 via Sacred Bones) sloughs off any inkling of lighthearted ironic satire and completely envelopes listeners in a dark psychological shroud – importantly Lortz gets after it lyrically, peppering the album with iconic imagery of desolation, rue, and stark anger; the album is more of a journey than a loosely connected set of tracks – digging deep into a very sincere artistic inspiration. Focusing on heartbroken disconnect and raw regret, Lortz has left us with an album of deliciously burnt edges and saddening emotion – what makes it even better is that the songs resonate and sear into the memory without apology.
