Erstwhile Kaleidoscope/Fairfield Parlour vocalist and flamekeeper Peter Daltrey has quietly continued writing songs with no discernable drop in quality or commitment since the demise of his legendary band. This discreetly- and lovingly-packaged twofer provides a timely indication of the kind of belowthe- radar beauties you may have been missing.
Heroine and Tattoo were originally issued in 2001 and 2002 respectively. In truth, the former – essentially a love letter to iconic womanhood – is somewhat compromised by an overt reliance upon synths and drum machines. Daltrey’s compositions are unimpeachable: songs such as Alma Cogan Saturdays and Magda Bruer In The Rain are enraptured by and fully immersed in the soft sensuality of the album’s devotional, dream-delineating subject matter. It does, however, take a few listens to be able to tease out their strengths from the chilly digital surfaces.
Tattoo is an Arcadian delight through and through. Written in tandem with New Orleans musician Damien Youth, it sites Daltrey’s unmistakably precise vocals in a predominantly acoustic setting. This works to surprisingly visceral effect on the lyrically unsparing Big Gun and Jesus Wheel, and makes for nape-prickling, arpeggiated prettiness on Nathan Child and Winter Song, born from the intertwined DNA of David Sylvian and Donovan.
