Reviews

Artist: The Duhks
Album: The Duhks
Label: Sugar Hill
Tracks: 14
Rating: ****
Contact:  www.propermusic.com

Technically we really shouldn't be review The Duhks as they hail from the other side of the pond and this site was set up to promote artists from the British Isles, but as they're playing Cambridge, we'll make an exception
The Duhks, the band are a five piece that perform songs and tunes, the former in both English and French, the latter in a combination of styles, but ainly from the Celtic traditions, both old and new. From the new they cover the likes of Capercaillie's Charlie McKerron as well as adding a few tunes of their own to the cannon
The Duhks, the album, is a fourteen track extravaganza, that also incorporates multi media elements. It's produced by Bela Fleck, who also makes a guest appearance on the album, as does much respected muso Paul Brady
Soundwise it encorporates, country that at times feels like torch. This also allows them into a more ballardy tradition which helps them bridge the jump top the celtic sound. Add a few comptemporary folk songs and pop songs given an acostic edge and you might think it's going to be a bit disjointed. It's anything but. The Duhks manage to fuse the elements together.
The two girls in the band, Tania Elizabeth and Jessica Havey, combine well for some great harmonies that have a real spiritual overtone, especially on "True Religion". Tania also drives most of the fiddle work on the album as well as taking some lead vocal responsibility
The three guys, Jordon, Leonard & Scott, provide most of the strumming and banging for the album, as well as outings with the vocal responsibility.
The result is an album that is highly multi-textured, but still comes together as a whole. It's not an album that you're going to tire of easily, because there's some much to pick up on subsequent listens
The Duhks is an album that many bands would be pleased to produce, it's just got their name on it.