He follows that up with "Love You Anymore," which is completely different. A piano and vocal duet with Cara Salimando, this song speaks eloquently about the end of a relationship. "There are two that lie beneath these sheets / It might as well be three with all of the space between... I said 'I love you', though I knew I didn't love you anymore." A very different Duke here, telling of two lovers drifted apart but who've not yet aired their decisions to the other. The piano, drums, and guitar along with the pairing of voices tell the story as much as the words themselves.
And "Needle and Thread" tells the story of a road trip to reclaim old glories and heal a broken heart. "For now, the waking world can wait / So sing your blues away / And hope for better days. / Pick an old song and we'll dance in the dark / It's that needle and thread to stitch up my broken heart." This is an upbeat rock anthem I can imagine being heard on many a road trip as we go seeking to fill in the holes left behind by loves lost and the potential of decisions never made.
These three songs — "Kangaroo Court," "Love You Anymore," and "Needle and Thread" — for me show the growth of Matt Duke over the last few years. These are songs sung with passion about experiences he's had along the way, and they're just the tip of the iceberg for the album. But though he's gained experience, he hasn't lost his talent for weaving intelligent lyrics and different musical styles to tell his stories like a troubadour of old. One Day Die is a great journey from tale to tale and I hope Duke continues to tour, live life, and tell these stories for years to come.
Check out One Day Die at stores on March 29, 2011!
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