Under the Dark Cloth Self-released****

About 18 months ago, following a gig in New York City, Northern Irish singer and songwriter Duke Special (aka Peter Wilson) was contacted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Would he consider a creative musical collaboration with the museum’s Department of Photography, and write a song suite influenced by the works of pioneering photographers Paul Strand, Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen? The results can be found here on this live show/ website-only release, by which Special (co-writing mostly with UK songwriter Boo Hewardine, although Neil Hannon assists), in his singular, often superb way, documents the lives not only of the photographers but of the people and scenes in their images. This is luxurious left-ofcentre music (the RTÉ Orchestra provides sumptuous backing) from one of Ireland’s most supremely unconventional talents. See dukespecial.com

Download tracks: Dancing Trees, Cherry Blossom Girl, Georgia O'Keefe