Best of 2008
“Best of 2008”
—Lithuim Radio, December 20, 2008
—Snob’s Music Blog, December 5, 2008
—Wildy’s World, December 25, 2008
Atlanta Music Guide
“Four stars…[Dukes’] melodies are hook-laden but intricate. If forced to choose between a major or minor chord, Dare always chooses the less obvious and more interesting latter…Like [Vic] Chestnutt, he shows a deep affinity for the strangeness and eccentricities in people. The people in Dukes’ songs are not losers per se; they are just different, kind of like we all are. And Dukes loves them for that, which makes it very easy to in turn love Dukes.”
—Al Kaufman, Atlanta Music Guide, December 10, 2008
Lauren McLaughlin Blog
“…no less than stunning. The melodies are gorgeous, inventive, and emotionally resonant. The lyrics capture the surprising beauty in the most mundane—mostly suburban—environments. Dare has wisely kept the arrangements sparse and simple, nevertheless they sparkle. You’ll find yourself smiling but you won’t be sure just why. This is a play list you will listen to over and over again, finding fresh nuance with every listen.”
—Lauren McLaughlin, Lauren McLaughlin Blog (New York, NY), November 11, 2008
Connect Savannah
“…a wonderful new alt.rock CD….crunchy, earthy, sour-pop…a welcome blast of well-constructed, invigorating alt.rock. The record, which instantly evokes comparisons to Dukes’ acknowledged influences Sparklehorse and Will Oldham’s alter-ego Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (as well as contemporaries The Rosebuds and Deathray Davies), is a triumph of sparseness. Its blend of softly-strummed rhythm guitar, minimalist keyboards, chiming electric guitar leads, driving—but understated—drums and the occasional brass instrument cameo, also recalls the output of a handful of seminal ‘college’ artists of the ‘80s and ‘90s, like Barbara Manning and—at times—the softer and more wistful side of They Might Be Giants. It’s a real sleeper.”
—Jim Reed, Connect Savannah (Savannah, GA), October 29, 2008
Flagpole
“Dukes, performing solo, charmed the listeners gathered around the stage. His songs made me want to just sit back in the comfy sofas and drift into a sleepy bliss. His Savannah roots show in his attention to detail and dreamlike melodies. Mr. Dukes, I might add, had a very awesome hat.”
—Jordan Stepp, Flagpole (Athens, GA), October 20, 2008
Shannon Burke
“…showcases Dare Dukes’ ability to craft multi-faceted, emotional pop songs. Think Sparklehorse, with great pop hooks that blossom and expand with repeated listenings. The tone is alternately upbeat, ironic, and quirky. The production is understated and reveals itself slowly. I found at least three of these songs rattling around in my head days after my initial introduction. I love this cd, and consider it to be a thirty-minute pop masterpiece.”
—Shannon Burke, author of Black Flies