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Cuts Across the Land is a strong, self-assured debut, even if the Duke Spirit needs to work a little harder to escape the long shadow of their forebears.
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Alternative PressShould you find yourself craving the fleeting rush of a dark, well-crafted pop song, Cuts Across The Land does wonders for, well, the spirit. [May 2006, p.176]
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Blender[Moss'] raw, husky delivery [is] able to turn even throwaway lines like "I swam to the bottom of the sea for you/I climbed to the top of the trees for you" into high drama. [Apr 2006, p.111]
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An energised and impassioned, justly confident debut.
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MojoYou sense they need a couple of pure pop gems that the Mary Chain had submerged within the noise to perfect the classic sound they aspire to. [Jun 2005, p.95]
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Though The Duke Spirit lack the Tex Avery mania of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or the eye-bulging strutting confidence of Polly Harvey, they do have an easy way with structured reverberative grooves.
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A melodic masterpiece of boldly indignant malevolent spite.
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Despite the blemishes, Cuts Across the Land is a surprisingly galvanized and consistent offering.
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Even on repeated listens, the search for the showy dazzle of The Killers, the lyrical tomfoolery of the Kaiser Chiefs or the sheer stadium smartness of Franz Ferdinand proves fruitless, and it becomes apparent that, in an age where indie's proving to be the stronghold of overachievers, 'Cuts Across The Land' may have missed its moment.
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Cuts Across the Land is an impressive debut from a promisingly assured and frequently striking group.
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They've got an amazing musical connection between them and its evident on this tight, pulsating, thumping record.
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Q MagazineA commanding debut. [Jun 2005, p.113]
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Cuts Across offers a surprisingly persuasive clutch of rock ‘n roll that beg for barnstorming live performances.
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The Duke Spirit end up being cock-rock without the cock, the guitars strutting, posing and providing an inconsequential background against which Moss tries to prove she's as good as the boys.
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UncutRetains a uniform ambience of savage, unsmiling riffing. [Jun 2005, p.114]
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Under The RadarDecidedly raw and unprocessed. [#13, p.91]
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UrbA reminder of artists like the Breeders. [Mar 2006, p.122]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 9 out of 11
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Mixed: 2 out of 11
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Negative: 0 out of 11
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timFeb 20, 2007Great record. Her voice is pure and lovly
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GinaTMay 9, 2006Cuts rocks and swings, has personality, and and updates beautifully tastemaking sounds!
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MichaelMay 8, 2006seriously one of my favorite albums this year . . . really fun band live.