Morning Comes
Cuff the Duke
Paper Bag Records
With their fifth full-length release, Cuff the Duke have solidified their place in the alt-country scene, forging an identity that positions them somewhere in the footsteps of Blue Rodeo. I hope they don’t mind me saying that. Greg Keelor, after all, produced the new record. Lead vocalist Wayne Petti has recently been invited to perform with Jim Cuddy and country legend Ian Tyson. The Oshawa natives sure feel like they’re at the top of their game, capably churning out ridiculously catchy and heartfelt tunes that often border on the anthemic.
That said, Cuff the Duke (like Blue Rodeo before them) have never really been about pushing musical boundaries. They know how to write moody and melodic 10-song EPs better than anyone, usually rife with images like jumping from great heights or walking down dirt roads. Morning Comes is all about a life turned upside down, replete with tears shed in public and frantic shower epiphanies. “Brightest Part of the Sun” is a good example of this, the album’s most crestfallen track.
Still, despite its pared-down vulnerability, Morning Comes has an underlying confidence that is characteristically Cuff the Duke. “Bound To Your Own Vices” is an eight-minute roller coaster of emotions that starts strong, descends into self-pity, and then finishes at strong again.
You get it. We all get it. The record is about those dark, gut-wrenching but ultimately rewarding passages in life you go through after losing someone important. Please excuse my tacky alliteration, but Morning Comes is sonically soothing. For those frustrating days when any questions about your poor mood are likely to put you over the edge, click play on your iTunes and watch how Wayne Petti’s vocals grow into a comforting hug. It’s not creepy, I swear.
Cuff the Duke vocalist Wayne Petti will be performing with Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo) and country legend Ian Tyson at the Toronto Centre for the Arts on October 21.
