aaamusic | On 13, Aug 2011

Lullabies For The 21st Century leaves one to pause for breath and forget about day to day worries. This is music that caresses the ears and eases the strain. So often today, trendy bands adhere to the glummer than glum rulebook, rekindling the discontent of the Thatcher years in our current era of economic crisis and strife. Well sod that for a laugh, why revel in misery when you can paint a rainbow with your music and bring joy? Duncan Maitland has done just this on his incredibly pretty, childlike debut album – which is brimming with optimism, sunshine and hope; even if at times the subject matter is rather dark! It’s a panacea for today!
This particular singer and songwriter has been around for a while, which is perhaps why he can’t be bothered to complain or make a fuss. Duncan is a mellow, humorous fellow and it shows in his songs. Lullabies… is a record made by someone who appreciates pure pop and songwriting for people who appreciate pure pop and songwriting. He’s not attempting to change the world or reinvent the wheel.
Being a well travelled chap with friends in the industry has allowed him to choose the cream of the crop to guest on the sessions, including XTC’s Colin Mouldingand Bell X1’s Rory Doyle. Lullabies’… warm analogue production is resplendent with everything one would hope for on a record that continues in the vein of its gold selling antecedents. The melodies ripple, the harmonies shine like Surf’’s Up- era Beach Boys, the piano recalls the glorious radio hits of Bacharach, McCartney, O’Sullivan and Lynn, and there’s that ever present fullness of late UK ’60s pop psychedelia, recalling the days when music was as technicolored as a Hollywood musical. Yet, it’s not all backward looking, just as Crowded House, The High Llamas, John Brion, Aimee Mann, The Eelsand, of course, XTC have done, this is a record that borrows from the past liberally and forges new, refined pop music that anyone who has ever turned on the radio will instantly like. 10CC, ELO, Klaatu, Prince… they’ve all been there, and I know that you, I and your milkman will never tire of such well honed dayglo pop music either.
The journey began back in 1985 when young Maitland formed The Flood. Next came the successful Irish band Picture House, who he recorded two albums with (the second – a Top Ten 10 – was released on Warners). The group supported many big name acts at huge venues across Europe and enjoyed chart success with the Maitland-penned ‘Sunburst’. Yet by 1999, even after gaining accolades – “…the excellent ‘Fan Club’ ranks among the best songs never recorded by The Beatles.” (Hot Press) – he no longer saw any mileage with them and quit. After a short period of quiet, it wasn’t long until Duncan hooked up with the larger than life Irish pop talent Thomas Walsh in his XTC-approved band Pugwash, joining them on a run of critically acclaimed albums. Around this time, he also wrote the score to a short (Italian film festival award winning) movie and appeared on the soundtrack to The Most Fertile Man In Ireland before returning to the recording studio in 2004 with Pugwash to commence work on their third studio album, playing alongside XTC’s Dave Gregory and The Section Quartet at the infamous Abbey Road studios. The recording of this album stretched on throughout the next year, during which time Duncan also produced, recorded and played on Fran King’s debut album Beautification. He even managed to find time to compose yet more soundtrack music for the independent horror film Detained – a zombie flick which gathered great reviews for both film and music. The beginning of 2005 saw a return to songwriting, with Duncan co-penning the song ‘Anchor’ with XTC’s Andy Partridge and Pugwash’s Thomas Walsh in time for the completion of the third Pugwash album, Jollity – which led to him being asked to contribute keyboards to the XTC song ‘Say It’, penned by the group’s bass player Colin Moulding and included on the band’s Apple Box release. It wasn’t long until the first sessions for Duncan’s debut album began…. as well as him performing and recording with Colin Hare from the legendary late ’60s UK pop band Honeybus, and touring across the States, Europe and Japan both solo and with other artists.
Out of all of this came the inspiration and motives for Lullabies For The 21st Century. The lengthy gestation period has led to something, which like all well-planned albums, works as a cohesive selection of tracks rather than just songs. Lullabies is a proper Long Player – one that has its own identity, mood and pace. If the kids download single tracks on iTunes and shuffle, grownups prefer to do things properly and play an album from start to finish. Listen to this in the same way you would one of those old, genuine affairs that was made before disposable culture ruled and you will surely be impressed. This is a record to be considered and mulled over. One to play again.
It really is that good, believe me.