Warn The Duke's Sophomore Release, All That's Solid, Will Blow You Away

Warn The Duke - All That’s Solid - 4.8 out of 5 stars

Warn The Duke is a New York rock band that, at least for me, has a lot of tonal similarities to Foo Fighters and Hot Water Music with a bit of a twist by throwing in some minor and seventh chords here and there and turning a melody away from the expected into something just a little cooler.

Their new album All That’s Solid is their follow up to the 2015 album Ghost Be Gone, and it showcases some similarities but also elevates the band into a fuller, more robust sound.

The first song on the album “The Middle” is a great song to kick off with, but I could say the same thing about both “Anniversaries” and “Sometimes” which are the next two songs on the album. 

They are all really rocking songs, and the music doesn’t let up throughout these three tracks. It’s no surprise that they are the 3 songs lined up to be singles from the album as well.

The press release for the album mentions that the album is “written on the heels of lockdowns, divorce, and addiction, the new LP is a window into the ebbs and flows of recovery” as singer Dan McCool has gone through some personal struggles over the past few years.

You definitely get these moments of anger, frustration, fear and just a reckoning with oneself through loud rock music. This album is put on a very large scale. I can easily see these songs being played in a 10,000 arena and thinking, “Yeah, these songs fit this atmosphere,” and at the same time, just going to a 100 cap bar and watching these guys (and gal - guitarist/vocalist Dori Cameron is the lone female in the band) and yelling the songs at the top of my lungs to match the energy.

And now seems like a good time to talk about the song “Ever” which has some dual vocals with the aforementioned Cameron throwing in some lines here and there and also backing up on the song, and holy shit, this song rips. The lead guitar in the latter half of the track is killer.

It ends the first half of the album very well too. It’s great to see how bands think about track listings when pressing physical albums…and I don’t have access to the vinyl yet, but it’s still cool to hear even on a digital stream.

There are so many incredibly well-produced elements to this album as well. Whether it be a backing vocal or a repeating lead guitar or a perfect transition to a bridge or whatever it is, I am quite impressed with this album in so many ways.

The title track “All That’s Solid” - the second side’s first track - is good for picking things back up, but the next song on the album “One Night” blows the doors off the sonic ceiling on the album. It might be the most rocking song on the whole album, and I was immediately impressed by the song from the first second I listened to it.

“The Tide” is one of the songs that attempts to somewhat “slow down” on the album, but it really doesn’t mean it is any less loud or rocking…it just comes in at a slower tempo. It’s quite impressive to hear a song keep rocking even at a slower tempo.

It’s not really until the second-to-last track “Useful Fiction” that the band plays what I may call a “let you up” song (referring to the fact that you may be moshing the whole set if the album was played in order until this song which gives you a break to pick yourself up). 

The song comes in almost casually like, “Hey, we also make great radio-sounding tunes as well.” This would be what I would think is the closest thing to a “hit song” on the album, and I don’t mean that in any way other than it is a song that I can see non-indie music fans really enjoying without having to think about anything. It’s a really good and accessible song.

“Forgive” ends the album, and it is definitely the most cathartic song on the album as the title may itself imply. The entire vibe of the song teeters on emotional breakdown which usually means there is a lot of pain and passion in the song. That’s what I hear in it, anyway.

If I am honest, I was absolutely caught off guard by this album even though I had just listened to the first album in anticipation of this one coming out.

I did not expect this to be such a powerful album from start to finish. I don’t remember the last time I had that to say about any album. In fact, I don’t think I have ever used that phrase before, but I think it is absolutely fitting.

The album is scheduled for release on March 17th, 2023 via Wiretap Records. You can get yourself a copy by ordering at this link.