Duke Garwood - Emerald Palace
by Sarah Mwangi
published: 3 / 4 / 2007
Label:
Butterfly Recordings
Format: CD
intro
Initially hard going, but ultimately rewarding debut album from experimental folk musician Duke Garwood
Some could dismiss ‘Emerald Palace’ as an onslaught of clangs, twangs, scratches, rattles and crackling with fleeting moments of success, but those people would be taking the easy way out. Admittedly, I was among this group of non-believers, but throughout my first listen this album was calling out for a second chance. Hidden underneath the dishevelled sounds was a country blues soul which wanted to make its mark by experimenting with an array of sounds. Songs such as ‘Late Night Caller’, ‘Swans On The Water’ and ‘Flame Song’, have a Robert Johnson-esque feel to them. They hold the raw stripped blues of a man sitting alone in a log cabin in the heat of summer, singing longingly with a lazy country slur to an unknown figure while strumming his guitar is a disjointed blues pattern. Whilst instrumental pieces, such as ‘Dash It All’, possess a fleeting beauty, with dusty twangs of a guitar and light clangs of a crash cymbal accompanied to haunting echoey vocals that creep in from the shadows. However, not all of the songs are a success, which begs the question, with a total of 18 songs, why weren’t the more eccentric pieces cut out. This would have given the more charming songs the ability to shine right from the start and would have made this album a whole lot easier to listen to. With the likes of ‘Shimmering Visage…’, however, it is apparent that Duke Garwood doesn’t want to be an easy listen, and because of that ‘Emerald Palace’ needs multiple listens before its gems can sparkle.
Track Listing:-
1 I Can Wait2 Beast Of Wood
3 Men We Be
4 Obliteratus
5 The Lonely Freak
6 Shimmering Visage In The Eye Of The Black Rhino
7 9 Peace
8 Pirates
9 Late Night Caller
10 Solar Vacation
11 Dash It All
12 Bathe Me Like The Sun
13 Heat Haze Horizon
14 Swans On The Water
15 Psychic Weather
16 The Bark
17 Flame Song
18 Silver Lake
reviews |
Dreamboatsafari (2011) |
Eccentric, but appealing latest album from London-based bluesman, Duke Garwood |
most viewed articles
current edition
The Church - Interview with Steve KilbeySimon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.
Jack Roscoe - Interview
Vetchinsky Settings - Interview
Near Jazz Experience - Interview
Liam Gallagher and John Squire - Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 16/3/2024
Nico - Profile
Sami Sumner - Interview
Doug Dillard Expedition - Live At The Hotel Fremont, Las Vegas, September 1970
most viewed reviews
current edition
Lewis 'Burner' Pugh - Bullets for BreadKula Shaker - Natural Magick
Ian Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction
David Cross Band - Ice Blue Silver Sky
Ty Segall - Three Bells
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes - Dark Rainbow
My Life Story - Loving You is Killing Me
Beyonce - Cowboy Carter
Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Back in Time
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart