The Duke & The King: Nothing Gold Can Stay (2009)

New Wax


The Duke & The King, besides referencing "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," is a roots-folk duo consisting of Simone Felice, who used to play drums in The Felice Brothers and has also written a few novels, and Robert "Chicken" Burke, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked with, among others, George Clinton. No worries, the duo's new album Nothing Gold Can Stay doesn't sound very P-funk, not that it would be a bad thing. Taking a page out of the "how to record a folk album" handbook, the duo recorded the 10 songs on Nothing Gold Can Stay in a makeshift cabin studio near Woodstock. Whereas The Felice Brothers albums have a jangly sing-a-long feel, Simone's voice is more soothing and while the songs here aren't necessarily complex, they exhibit surprising polish. The album cover is a fitting representation of the songs contained within: a sepia-tinted American flag stretched out on a vintage television. Felice's lyrics are decidedly reminiscent, but while he touches on some heady subject matter such as substance-abuse, dysfunctional childhoods, and homeless war veterans, there's plenty of hopefulness on Nothing Gold Can Stay. Some of the album's sweetest moments are its strongest. For example, the simplistic yet gorgeous "Water Spider" is an outright highlight on an album with many to spare. Fans of no-frills, top-notch songwriting will find much to fall in love with here. -- Capt. Obvious

Listen:
MP3: The Duke & The King - The Morning I Get To Hell
MP3: The Duke & The King - If You Ever Get Famous

Tags: The Duke & The King, Nothing Gold Can Stay