The comparisons to In Rainbows don't quite stop there. Whenever a "fuzzy album" comes to the fore - as per above - there's always that nagging risk that it is going to suck. How on earth are they going to top the one before? In The Duke Spirit's case, the weight of expectation can hardly be as insurmountable as that of Radiohead, but their two albums prior provide good collateral to fuel the fire of nervous suspense. The wave of relief when you realise that your favourite artist hasn't succumbed to the perils of "that difficult nth album" is almost as fuzzy as the news of the release itself.
And me oh my how The Duke Spirit have overcome. Bruiser is an absolute belter of a record. They played the record from start to finish at the gig at the start of the month. For me, this was a bit of a bitter sweet treat. On the one hand, it was great to hear new material and be rest assured that they've still got it. On the other hand, I was slightly disappointed that we didn't get that many vintage songs; although their encore was essentially a medley of hits. The gig did however give me instant familiarity with the songs on Bruiser. The songs stuck with me from the first listen and have been circulating my head ever since.
This album is a fine delivery of catchy, indie-pop songs that scream of The Duke Spirit's signature sound and calibre. Although Bruiser can hardly be heralded as a coming of age album for TDS - or a dramatic diversion from their earlier work - it offers enough of a development to keep you on your toes. A catalogue of unrelenting anthems from start to finish.
This fantastic time lapse video was taken on the evening of The Boston Arms gig and features the album track 'Running Fire':
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