Cuff the Duke: Union album review

The Carillon goes over Union track by track

Paul Bogdan
A&C Editor
and
Jake Stinson
Contributor

1. “Live My Life”
PB: His voice is kind of weird … but it’s really catchy, though.
JS: When he goes for the higher notes, he kind of underachieves … It’s toe tapping for sure. I’d have a good time listening to this on a road trip.

2. “Side by Side”
PB: I feel like if I were watching a music video for this song right now, it’d be someone skipping along a path, and there are leaves blowing about.
JS: The only drawback, and I don’t know if it’s really a drawback, is his voice a little thin.
PB: Yeah, but I think I’ve gotten over it by this song now.
JS: It’s not so bad that it takes away from the music.
PB: Listen to the drumbeat and tell me it wouldn’t be awesome if they broke into that song from those really old Labatt Blue commercials, because that’s where this song needs to go right now.

3. “Where Did We Go Wrong”
PB: It was like that bass solo was going to go somewhere sweet, and then he was all, ‘Nah, I’m going to go play rhythm again’
JS: It wasn’t really a bass solo, more of a ‘Hey! Look at me!’ He set it up perfectly to launch it to something amazing
PB: It feels like really boring Weezer

4. “Open Your Mind”
PB: Feels kind of like some of the deeper album tracks off of the Black Keys’ Brothers.

5. “Stay”
PB: Really 60s. Again, like there should be a music video of people riding barks through a park or playing frisbee. There’s a dog running in the background.
JS: This has a Yukon Blonde vibe, just with less potent melodies … I like the back ground vocals. I was thinking in the first verse, ‘They should have somebody sing in the background with this guy’.
PB: It’s impossible to picture someone with a sad face with this song playing.

6. “Carry On”
PB: All the ‘ah’ vowel sounds this guy does are awful.
JS: I think they should do more back-up vocals to hide the singer’s vocals.
PB: Play to your strengths. When they bury the vocals on the first song, I think it works.
JS: If you can’t do it, don’t try … if you know you’re going to suck, why bother? I don’t go into marathons thinking, ‘I’ll kick everybody’s ass!’ No, I’m terrible at it.

7. “Something for Free”
PB: I feel like this is a reprise of the last 60s sounding song. I like this one better though.
JS: This one has a little more to it.
PB: I bet a live show with these guys would be really good because you’d actually be dancing with someone.

8. “All I Want”
PB: Pretty all right … Kinda that Weezer thing again.

9. “Rise Above”
JS: It’s not bad, by any stretch. It’s a digestible album for sure.

10. “Night After Night”
JS: Last song already? Well, it’s a forgettable album.
PB: Yeah, it’s disposable. You wouldn’t argue against someone putting it on, but you wouldn’t go out of your way to put it on.
JS: If this came on shuffle, you’d be like, ‘Alright’.

Last thoughts:
JS: Pleasant, nothing spectacular.
PB: Pleasant but forgettable.