Duke On The Roof

I'm in Duke Special's silver machine, rumbling at the side of a little street in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. His iPod is wired into the vehicle's sound system and I'm getting a preview from his new album, 'Oh Pioneer'. The sonic method for this new collection is tuned percussion, some gurgling organ and the kind of exotic hum that Tom Waits channeled into records like 'Night On Earth'. Thematically, Duke seems drawn to people taking risks and steering to the far side of the map. That becomes apparent with the opening track, 'Stargazers Of The World Unite'. He's aiming for the great illumination and the characters who are ready for that reveal. Significantly, part of the song's action takes place on a roof above us, catching sparks over Gordon Street and Hill Street, lit up by the creativity of the Quarter's exceptional users. We listen and grin plenty.