He’s shirked any conventional studio release for some four years, but the grand ol’ Duke of Belfast hasn’t been sitting around fiddling with his dreads... In the time between Oh Pioneer and its I Never Thought... predecessor, the artist known to the taxman as Peter Wilson has penned songs for, and performed in, a Berthold Brecht production, sang Kurt Weill and been inspired by a photography exhibition in the New York Met.
All those off-road creative excursions clearly inform his “proper” return – he sounds more assured than ever, and themes of personal journeys and creative discovery abound. But above all, this is the kind of unabashed pop Duke Special relishes and the kind of album he’s been threatening to make since the critically adored Songs From The Deep Forest. In ‘Punch Of A Friend’ he has a song that immediately rubs shoulders with the likes of ‘Last Night I Nearly Died’. Others reveal their quality over repeated listens. Pop, sure, but the hushed, clever-clever kind that finds time to cram words like “requiem” in and takes time to unfurl. The opener is an intoxicating twinkle, taking another Morrissey title and twisting it; the romantic ode ‘Nothing Shall Come Between Us’ captures the bliss of a bride walking down the aisle; and ‘Lost Chord’ is a masterclass in economical writing. The sound is simultaneously pristine and charming. Duke’s faithful piano tiptoes around a Moog bass floor. Bells, whistles and woodwind bubble and flutter about. For the most part, it seems as if he’s ambling through a field of wind chimes, whilst his recent orchestral work ushers in a vintage Sujfan Stevens vibe.
Oh Pioneer is not without flaws. At times a little one-paced, the melodic aerobatics don’t extend to the tempo. If you were never a fan of his whimsy, the cabaret leanings will hardly convert you and, when a Queen-esque roar emerges in ‘Snakes In The Grass’, you fear it will go full-blown panto. And ‘Condition’ is disappointing. But these are minor quibbles. Overall, this is an august effort that will wash over you delightfully and seep into your pores. Well, they don’t call him Duke Ordinary, do they?