I'm listening to ...
Duke Special's new album "Songs from the Deep Forest".
The Belfast singer-songwriter-pianist-poet-philosopher Peter Wilson (aka ) is an overnight sensation that's more than a decade in the making. I first heard him perform as Booley, one of his previous incarnations, and thought he was unique even then. When I presented last year's Festival Nights programmes, he performed on one of the shows and was mesmerizing. His new albumn is yet more confirmation that Duke Special is one of the most imaginative and original voices in contemporary alternative rock music.
The second song on this album, "Everybody wants a little something", includes these lines:
I don't get those pop and idol shows
Everybody knows
That the good things take a little longer
12 years on, the cracks begin to show
Scared you wanna go
But I hope that we're a little stronger.
Forget pop idol; this is a musician who's served his apprenticeship and has just produced a beautifully crafted work of art. But don't listen to the CD for the first time in your car: you'll be late for your next appointment.
Comments
aha JW
A little more of your evangelical roots come to light! ;-)
I didnt realise you had lived in NI, small world.
PB
I must confess that I've heard very little of this guy. I have heard the song that John mentions above though, and to be honest I didn't care much for it. Horses for courses I guess.
SG
I first heard DS in Katy Dalys a few years ago. Hardly anyone took notice of him, banging away on the keyboard with about 15 people in attendance sipping their after work pints, and I overhead a girl across from me laughing, saying "he's rubbish".
Then I picked up a NIMIC cd at the whitla one day, and 'Freewheel' was on it. Well, some of the songs on the CD were actually REALLY good, but this stood out for me and although should've sounded cheesy and corny, but he does it so well, one really is honoured to have heard such a unique voice and brilliant songwriter.
Duke Special has a fairly independent kind of sound; sounds like it was important for this label to understand what he's all about as an artist. The sound definately isn't for everyone; Vaudeville meets alt.rock, maybe. It's fresh, though, and whether or not it's your cup of tea I'm sure most can appreciate his originality!
Great website!