The Dukes of Sure – Ham Radio
Recorded inside a weathered, old mill in the city of Passaic, New Jersey, Ham Radio by The Duke of Surl is without a doubt, one of the most fun garage power-pop albums you will encounter this year.
Currently residing in Milan, Italy, The Duke of Surl (A.K.A. Will Brown) is a literal jack-of-all-trades. The Duke wrote, produced and played nearly every instrument on every track on his own; making this already outstanding record that much more impressive.
Ham Radio absolutely glows with excitement like a radioactive amusement park. Every song on the album is a nugget of addictive ear candy, rich with catchy hooks, a Mick Jagger-esque strut and a loose, party like atmosphere. The record’s bangin’ lo-fi garage-pop sound is right at home amongst The Duke of Surl’s stable mates at King Pizza Records, like The Mad Doctors and Thee Creeps.
From the fuzzy stomper, “Phone Dead,” to the scorching “I Don’t Mean to Be Bad,” there isn’t a single low point on the entire album. Every track keeps the killer rocking vibe going to the very last second on the record. One thing to really appreciate on this album is that every song is very concise and controlled. While it could be very welcomed to hear some of these songs get stretched out live on stage, the songs on Ham Radio never go off the rails. They instead feel nicely trimmed down to their essential parts yet somehow without losing their laidback spirit. That’s a hard balance to find, especially on an album that is completely created by a singular artist.
This is a record that you absolutely want to crank up and blast every time you play it, especially while partying or cruising around at night with your buds.
Ham Radio is available for download and on baby blue cassette via King Pizza Records (here). Also, be sure to keep an eye out for The Duke of Surl’s upcoming US tour this autumn!
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