MDuke - Don’t Look Down (Album)
MDuke has been taken pupils to universities lately, "Don't Look Down" being his 3rd full-length release this year so far & I must say that spiritually, I found this record to be quite alleviating. There's this portentous & underlying soul bleeding throughout the single. If you're afraid of heights like I am, then I'd take his advice & keep your eyes forward. In the intro, he details how he's noticed the devil steady working, unfortunate how he's always disguised as those closest to you but the imagery he's painting with the metaphors. On how the charlatans surrounding him are like greedy pirates or the extended metaphor with the devil clocking in for the day, it's daunting storytelling that's almost just as haunting as it is gorgeous.
MDuke feels that vengeance must be his on "Good 4 U", he's always been the one to give his all to people, only never even to have an inkling of it reciprocated & on top of that, throw more turmoil with their words & actions. He clearly holds these polemics closely to the chest as he sticks it out proudly, fierce as ever as he's delivering his frustrations over those underlying chimes; he's here to immolate these effigies. That brutal honesty with himself on "Can't Call It" is probably the most slowly shattering record on here. It's hard to get off that path of destruction once you're on it & occasionally, you do try to get off it. Still, eventually, you can find yourself back on it & although he can't promise he'll always be okay, he can at least promise himself that he'll get through any & all adversity. He has Neaux ID speaking his respective truth as well; his raspy soulfulness is perfect for this classical number.
The musicality on here is so subtle yet so powerful; the ambiance behind Preach's poetry in motion is so free-flowing & beautifully bleeds into Duke detailing his treading of "100,000 Miles", the sole is no doubt scuffed from all the marching. However, we continue to push forward; it'd be way harder to turn back at this point. Everything is constantly changing, so it can be hard to grasp it all, but Duke advises that you find some sort of peace cause minding your own will get you far in this ever-changing world. Let me say that this production sounds like a peyote trip in red sand & as it uplifts him to higher learning on "Okay," he's skydiving then hitting the ground after hallucinating, completely blacking out.
His whispers on "Dark Night" are so chilling to the spine, really capturing that feel that something is walking behind you. They're waiting for the moment to strike, like shadows on the road as you're coming home & you left wondering if they're coming for your soul or not, but still, he finds himself walking down that road every lonely night. He "Can't Help It," spiritually he's asunder, forever "Walking This Rope," just patiently waiting to lose balance. Still, he's "Too High" to come down now, so those wishing on his downfall should expect their descent sometime in the near future. Do "I Pray," not really, but maybe I should often. Records like this remind me that I haven't lost all my faith, despite how hopeless I've always seemed to feel but that extra hymn after the 1st part of this number made me cry cause I know that hope is still inside. I could never let it go & what I hope you walk away from with this magnum opus from MDuke is never to look down cause it can only go up!