Minus

The Age

Friday September 5, 2008

Craig Mathieson

Minus, Dukes of Windsor (Universal) 3/5

Sometimes, trying to catch the tenor of the times only dates you. On their second album, Melbourne five-piece Dukes of Windsor divide their energies between two sounds. The first is a clanging, electro-rock confection daubed with modernist themes and the hectoring, 1984-esque vocals of Jack Weaving. "Down in the gutter/People are gold/We live in the shadows/We are the bold," he declares on opener No Disguise, opting for moody slogans reminiscent of a young Duran Duran. The likes of It's a War uses a similar schematic and it takes several listens to realise that beneath the sci-fi bluster there are worthy melodies peeking through. When they give them free rein you hear the second Dukes of Windsor, a capable pop band whose funk bass is geared towards groove as opposed to grind. The best of Minus is the edgy disco of Evil Woman, which has the silken appeal Maroon 5 specialise in, and the flowing Runaway, a track that suggests Dukes of Windsor are better at coercing the listener as opposed to conquering them. Social prescriptions don't suit Dukes of Windsor - they say it best when they say nothing at all. -- CRAIG MATHIESON