Singles

Duels - Pressure On You

Emily Tartanella 07/11/2005

Rating: 4/5

Straight from the burgeoning Leeds music scene, just when you thought everything was clean-as-Kaisers, in comes Duels. A ferocious five-piece blessed with the gift of the clever quip and the sonic roar, Duels are more than just the latest addition to the new wave of Leeds. “Pressure on You” mashes some early Bowie with a tune as good as The Kinks (well, almost), and comes up with this tale of relationship woe.

“You look just like your mother!” singer Jon sneers, as the fuzzy guitars bring to mind the pop-perfection of classic Blur. “Pressure on You” was clearly designed to give us all a reason to pogo around like giddy scenesters, which remains a motive of indisputable validity. A chorus that's as catchy as hell, combined with the surprising sincerity of a line like “My God you used to love me/Or at least I believed you did” makes this an auspicious beginning for Duels.

Everything is brilliant in Leeds, indeed.