The Duke Spirit answers Chicago's call

August 14th, 2008, at the Empty Bottle

By Kirstie Shanley
Published: August 18th, 2008 | 8:30am

Brimming with a sound that is all together identifiably British, the Duke Spirit is a little spooky, a little sexy, and full of style. Touring in support of its recent release, Neptune (You Are Here), the band finds itself playing to interested crowds with one catchy single after another. The guitar sound on the album is reminiscent of classic Britpop style with vocalist Liela Moss' accent adding enough character and depth to make each hook and guitar rhythm come to life. Not surprisingly, the band's stage presence echoed this effect.

The instrumentation was spot-on, but the show was all about Moss, who took the stage by force — almost as if it were her hostage. Writhing in a black so divine, she crawled on her knees and looked up to the mic as if it were her god. Preferring a dark and foreboding green light, this further highlighted the band's spookier side, making it feel like Halloween had come early this year.

Though the Duke Spirit's sense of rhythm and Moss' looks at times recall the Raveonettes, the band's songs are much faster and pop-oriented, with less distortion. Playing the faster and more driven songs like "My Sunken Treasure" and "Into the Fold" made the crowd dance and want to join them (one man even tried to get up on stage and actually did this toward the end of the set). There also is a greater power and force to Moss' vocals, even though it still manages to fit within the pop genre. Yet it's the subtler melodies that are most appreciated in songs like "Dog Roses," where Moss howls and envelops the crowd in a more subtle and revealing sense, similar to fellow Brits Bat for Lashes.

One difference between listening to the band's recordings and seeing it perform live is that the songs are much more energetic and the songs are more raw. Recorded, they are produced in a way that emphasizes a slickness, while the live set brings out more of the electricity between guitar players and the interplay between the instruments. The dexterity with which the instruments are played doesn't change in the live setting, but the audience becomes more aware of the skill and talent than just the final very radio-accessible end product.

When she wasn't singing, Moss modestly thanked the members of the band about midway through the set and explained how this was the last night of their U.S. tour. The band easily earned its encore of "Neptune's Call" and "Cuts Across the Land" after the crowd emphatically applauded for a couple more songs. One thing remains clear, though: Whether you are hearing Moss sing, "But you, you don't feel like mine anymore" in "Sunken Treasure" or "I'm gonna watch myself make these big cuts across the land" in "Cuts Across the Land," one can't help but hope the show won't end.