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The kind of record from which careers are made.
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As with all great country music, exquisite execution, splendid sound, and depth of feeling combine to create a cathartic, redemptive result.
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Entertainment WeeklyThough Moorer's haunting characters delay the inevitable by juggling booze and pills, their stuggle ends with redemption. [16 Apr 2004, p.76]
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Q MagazineThe raggedy, pared-back approach puts the spotlight right back where it should be: on Moorer herself. [May 2004, p.106]
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Not just a great record, but a much-needed dose of country-rock reality.
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Moorer, besides being good at penning lyrics, is smart enough to write catchy hooks.
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By far her best yet.
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Allison Moorer abandons the glossy textures and pop friendly hooks of her last album Miss Fortune for a grittier, more lived-in sound on The Duel.
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BlenderHer voice--half dark, lazy molasses, half bourbon with a silky finish--rings with equal parts defiance and vulnerability. [May 2004, p.128]
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Most of the songs are like a Southern accent: eight miles an hour, deliberate and very dangerous to underestimate.
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MojoWhen she opens her mouth, you get nothing but depressed. [Jun 2004, p.110]
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Dark, downtrodden, and gloomy.
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The Duel finds her reversing, inexplicably, into a ponderous version of early-1970s country rock, which couldn't have been more perfectly designed to curb the potential of her wonderfully emotive voice.
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Yet, it would be too convenient and, frankly, unfair to simply blame the production. These songs, like Moorer's picture in the liner notes, are all dressed up with nowhere to go.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 5 out of 5
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Mixed: 0 out of 5
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Negative: 0 out of 5
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charlesmJan 17, 2005
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RobMDec 14, 2004
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DavidBMay 11, 2004There's a clutch of excellent songs on this album and any weaknesses are more than made up for by Allison's superb voice. Buy it!