William Duke

"A Part of Me" b/w "The Ghost" 7"

self-released

Genre: indie pop

San Francisco, CA

October 2009

Two album tracks comprise this vinyl teaser, which was released in concert with Duke's new album, The Ghost That Would Not Be. On this record, Duke exudes an overt appreciation of The Beatles, AM pop, Supergrass, and Eels, employing breezy guitars and keyboards and sugary sweet vocals. The formula is most successful on the B-side, "The Ghost," which has decent hooks but seems to plod a little. Meanwhile, "A Part of Me" boasts a cheery melody, but the multi-layered vocals are in dire need of more polish. These two songs show serious potential, although they seem to lack the sense of melodic togetherness that gets the listener humming along. In the pure pop domain, where memorable hooks are the principal form of currency, it's clear Duke has some work ahead of him.

william duke's myspace

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 2 tracks, distributed by the artist, released 2009]