If you’ve heard the music of Duke Special, you’re already aware that it’s the work of a mercurial composer with a love of the classical, the old world, the catchy hook of a pop single and a blatant disregard for musical boundaries. Wry wit wages war with dark Northern Irish humour on loves and losses, while the eternal struggle between the physical and spiritual rages all around. With this in mind, ‘Look Out Machines!’ may be the most honest album Belfast’s Peter Wilson has ever recorded.
‘Wingman’, ‘Elephant’s Graveyard’ and ‘Step to the Magical’ open the record with a triplet of dark pop tunes. Synths meander through the more traditional Duke Special instrumentation but the old themes of weakness and courage still come to the fore. Don’t be betrayed by these deceptively cheery melodies. These tunes are dark. You could be listening to Morrissey with added keys. I remember once hearing the Duke cover Chaka Khan’s ’I Feel For You’ and fearing it one of the most absurd renditions of all time and yet three tracks in to ‘Look Out Machines’, Duke on keys and long time collaborator Phil Wilkinson on percussion are pounding out a pure 80s pop tune. ‘Step to the Magical’ is one for dancing feet but also heavy hearts.
‘In A Dive’ is perhaps the most accessible track for the long-time fan on ‘Look Out Machines’. When Peter sings that Jesus and his blood don’t mean as much anymore, it marks a long journey from days gigging on the Christian music scene at a younger, more enthusiastic time. There’s clearly a deep-rooted belief here. The percussion thumps reminiscent of ‘Freewheel’ but with an air of despair. Soles have been danced down and souls are once again to the fore of the Duke’s thinking. It’s an ode to a hometown that most in Belfast could easily identify with. For a little further reminiscing, ‘Statues’ features an undercurrent of vinyl static and percussive skips echoing the ‘Lucky Me’ or ‘Your Vandal’ works from a decade ago.
‘Son of the Left Hand’ is the sound of doom. A track, according the Duke, about facing demons but one that surely could only be written by someone battling them. Sinister in all senses of the word, this is like nothing recorded on another Duke Special work. Plenty of work here is being done by the machines, synths, drum loops, samplers lay down an eerie bed as we segue to the title track. Written with Scottish songwriter Gary Clark, it’s a warning both for and against this technological post-modernity. The “this is the new world” refrain is surely in reference to Fermi and his role in the atomic bomb. “Come friendly fires blaze. Come love upon this place” is typical of the juxtaposition throughout the album.
While the music is often dark, the lyrics deep down focus on core themes of loyalty, friendship, community and belonging. ‘Nail on the Head’ wisely debuted as the first single is a synth lead pop tune in the vein of Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon; the sobriety and seriousness somewhat betrayed by bouncy baselines and catchy hooks.
The album rounds off with a trilogy of beautifully differing tracks. ‘Tweed Coats’ featuring the chatter and background sounds from the burned out Eastbourne Pier, ’Stepping Stones’ a 6/8 time sparse arrangement inspired by Seamus Heaney where the author encourages us to “lift up our hearts to the beat” and finally ‘Domino’, which brings us full circle. Orchestral, poetic, hopeful, it’s both new and yet a Duke Special ballad of old. With piano to the fore, there’s a singalong chorus of sorts that a whiskey ravaged pub voiced choir could lend to. It’s an obvious ending point to the record but also clearly a mere step on a journey of musical ambition and personal development. It’s a defiant anthem against the machines, against the constraints; one shaped by moments of beauty that hit like Fermi’s bomb.
Recalling the themes and lyrics of ‘Look Out Machines’ title track, this is indeed a new world. This is a devastating blast and a self sustaining reaction. Landscapes altered, perceptions challenged and slow burning fires that continue to destroy and create regardless.