Duke Garwood-Heavy Love

Heavenly Recordings
2015


Just released this past February, "Heavy Love" is the fifth full-length solo album from impassioned singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Duke Garwood. Largely unknown outside of his native country, South Londoner Duke Garwood is a graceful old folk singer trapped in the body contemporary bluesman and even though "Heavy Love" holds the distinction of being my first sampling from this stirring man there was an instant connection and it felt as if I finally found a long-lost kindred spirit! That might sound fanciful or come across as a leap of faith to some of our more cynical readers, but scratch just under the surface of this mournful LP and you too might just discover how those ghosts of yesterday are alive and well and speaking directly to you through Duke's imaginative voice! Though it often looks as if it has been stripped nearly naked the unassuming "Heavy Love" is remarkable deep and lovingly thoughtful as it's words and music slowly break down any and all barriers. As haunting as it might be Duke Garwood's latest release is also memorizing in it's own right and it stands out as a fully-completed work of art. There are no bumps along the path and there are no side-distractions to keep you from enjoying the breath and scope of compelling LP like this. "Heavy Love" could just as easily have been entitled Love Heavy as the heart of this recording seems eerily tied to Duke's own ghosts and the haunting way in which they still seem to want to strangle his soul. All told "Heavy Love" is a masterful work from an artist that London seems to have been previously hoarding. Now's the time for the U.S. market to stand up and take notice of Duke Garwood as this has all the makings of a mutually-beneficial relationship!