When you describe a song as “banjo pop” I get a little wary. Not because that’s a weird genre description, but rather because it’s an incredibly apt description for a song I can’t help but like. Add in the word “ornate” and all ability to be objective flies out the window. That said, even while the rest of me is suckered by its sound, I’m still pretty sure it’s a great song in its own right.
Dare Dukes, unsurprisingly, comes out of Savannah, Georgia, though his biography seems to throw him all across America at one point or another. “Meet You at the Bus” contains a universality that seems borne out of that travel, as does the simple sentiment of, well, meeting at the bus. Its youthful restlessness is something that virtually everyone has felt at one point or another and its coupled with a “let’s steal away together” romanticism befitting of young, not-quite-so-forward-thinking love.
Dare Dukes reminds me most of Loundon Wainwright III (particularly “The Swimming Song,”) with his distinct voice and, of course, the banjo-based folk pop. The song’s only really a touch ornate, with banjos and guitars doubled up for a thick sound and a few horns to lend some flavor.There’s a lot of easy comparisons to make when talking about the sound of the song, from The Avett Brothers to The Mountain Goats to They Might Be Giants. Apt as these comparisons are to the whole of a lot of “banjo pop,” Dare Dukes maintains a distinct sound mostly thanks to his wonderfully punctuating voice.
I think, after listening to it some ten times in a row, I can safely say that “Meet You at the Bus” is, in fact, a great song.
And it’s not just because I was suckered by the sound.
Dare Dukes – Meet You at the Bus
Dare Dukes also gets the dubious honor of getting the first release in 2012 for us to look forward to. His second album, Thugs and China Dolls, will be released in January and contains contributions from members of both Of Montreal and TV on the Radio. Be on the lookout for that one.
Dare Dukes: {Facebook | Twitter | Website | Last.fm}