Duke Special – ‘Songs From The Deep Forest’ (V2) Released 23/10/06

‘Songs From The Deep Forest’ is the second album to come from Belfast born Peter Wilson or as he’s better-known Duke Special. And right from the off its obviously apparent that you’re listening to something very special. Duke Special’s self-proclaimed ‘hobo-chic’ sound is stunning to say the least and thankfully plentiful throughout. His Irish lilt and effortlessly well-timed piano playing is perfectly illustrated from the opening track. Big, considered, delicate, confident and constantly changing, ‘Wake Up Scarlett’ is the perfect way to open a not far off perfect album. The breadth and variety on ‘Songs From The Deep Forest’ make an already stand out voice all the more refreshing.

The album is so instrumentally diverse it always keeps you guessing and more importantly interested. From the heartfelt tiredness of ‘No Cover Up’ to the marching open-heartedness of ‘Salvation Tambourine’ complete with a short-lived orchestral outburst of nightmarish proportions. Duke Special has the ability to weave a complex and ever changing web of musical imagery and retain a vintage spirit of homemade grandeur that give his songs authenticity. The big and heavy intro of ‘Freewheel’ drifts off to nothing only to gradually return and build into something spectacular which reflects the fantastically composed and arranged nature of the album. ‘Songs From The Deep Forest’ has a wealth of melodies that do nothing but get stuck in your head and are if not sing-along-able then definitely hummable. As is the case with ‘Everybody Wants A Little Something’ which also shows off Duke Specials’s skipping vocal talent with the simple yet appealing “I don’t get those pop and idol shows, everybody knows, that the good things take a little longer” and in the bittersweet ‘Brixton Leaves’; “Another drunken evening, red wine you’re so deceiving.” Simple they may be but they’re also deeply observational, thoughtful and set against a backdrop of musical brilliance, all the more powerful.

The balance of instrumentation is not only perfect but also key to making the album work as well as it does. Despite the intelligence of the album there’s a strong desire to keep things simple, never overstating or understating anything and this reveals a rather sincere naivety. This by no means detracts from the release but if anything adds to it. Instead of claiming to know all the answers Duke Special if anything openly admits that he’s as lost as anybody and learning as he goes. Most of the songs have a laid back mellowness to them. And even the fast paced urgency of ‘Last Night I Nearly Died’ is still considered with an equally tailored musical score. There’s no bravado, just passion and to an extent, in many of the songs, a bearing of the soul, this can be heard in songs such as the openly honest ‘Something Might Happen’.

If Liam Frost, Coldplay and Keane got stuck in a lift together, ‘Songs From The Deep Forest’ might be the result. But its big, exclusive and innovative sound sets it apart and gives it it’s own legs to stand on. The songs are so completely consistent in their brilliance, you become thoroughly immersed and cant help but be deafened by the silence that’s left after the immensely thoughtful closing track ‘This Could Be My Last Day’ finishes. A stunning album, pure and simple, from a musician in complete control of his gift and with lots more to offer.