Look Out Machines! is the ninth album by my counting from Northern Irishman, Duke Special (aka Peter Wilson). He’s been performing as a solo act since 2002, having had deals with V2 and Universal Ireland, and toured with the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Snow Patrol and The Divine Comedy.

It starts well enough, Wingman’s opening riff offers a dark and brooding underlying drama. There’s a real finesse throughout but I wonder if it really lifts off and makes the statement an album opener should?

Unfortunately, second track, Elephant’s Graveyard rather undoes the good work done by Wingman. It’s a muddle of a song with sections that don’t really fit together. What does become clear after a minute of track number three, Step to the Magical, is that there is a blueprint – moody, menacing verses vs lighter pop choruses.

Clearly not one to shirk a challenge (good pop choruses are awfully hard to write), Duke Special sets about working to this template for much of the album. Sometimes, he makes a decent stab of it – in fact, Step to the Magical is good fun – the kind of song Sparks would be happy to have written and there’s even a Battles-inspired instrumental section in there to provide a bit of edge. Son of the Left Hand is also a success, its chorus has real guts to it with staccato strings and a compelling, ascending melody providing more than a match for the left-field, synth and drum machine-driven verses.

Tellingly, though, the album benefits when the blueprint is put to one side. The last three tracks on the album are much more stripped back, allowing us to get closer to their essence and Wilson’s voice.

The first in this run of simpler songs, Tweed Coats is special – ringing piano chords sit beneath a vulnerable vocal lamenting being alone or lost, with the warming realisation that we aren’t:
“Every direction lost at sea / I used to think it was just me”

Partway through the song, we are made aware of something in the background – an incomprehensible public announcement at a train station to compound the sense of being lost perhaps? I don’t know, but it’s a nice detail that really adds something; a welcomed subtle touch.

The midpoint of the album is also marked by a simple, effective song, Statues. The vocal immediately pulls you in and the spare arrangement allows Wilson’s voice to shine – there’s an effortless grace that leads me to think that this man is capable of great things.

Look Out Machines! is full of good intentions, but I’m not sure if it fully delivers on its promise. There are plenty of decent songs, but there are frustrations within them. The title track sticks diligently to the dark verse/poppy chorus formula with plenty of pep, punch and impetus in the instrumentation, yet there are a few more potential gears available to make it really hit home dynamically. Domino displays all of the characteristics of being a great closer – it’s a winning combination of lilting strings and meaty melody and vocals. Things get really exciting when the gospel outro is introduced after a false ending, only for it to be immediately faded out – it’s a real anti-climax to a promising song and flat conclusion to the album.
I am more than willing to put such grievances aside for Thursday’s gig (April 23rd) at the Komedia, having read lots about Duke Special’s live prowess. I’m positive that Wilson has more than enough ability to bring Look Out Machines! to life in a live environment.
Adam Atkins
 

Webiste: dukespecial.com