The Popular Song of Martin Stephenson
“Western Eagle”, has qualities of one of his masterpieces, honing the folk and country roots of albums since “Lilac Tree” into something quite transcendent. It shows the difference a simpatico band can make to the music, producing a collection of songs where the musical influences are subsumed into the sound, no ends left untucked. The melodies ebb and flow throughout the songs, rather than being a more usual verse/chorus combination.
Martin’s blog says, “The title track ‘Western Eagle from the new Daintees album is dedicated to the life of a young woman from Mull, Catherine Lelievre. The song is about rebirth where the reborn celestial becomes the Eagle who hovers above Mull protecting the soul’s transition.”
“The Bubble” is something of a precursor to “Western Eagle”, a moody jazz tinged piece of tinkling piano and horn, of a move from egoism to conjoining with another.
The title track is the centrepiece, being a moody instrumental piece on Track 1, leading to the tone poem of Track 12 (1), and then becoming the “hidden” track, a gentle, and heartfelt, song about leading yourself to somewhere you can call home.
A whole range of styles is tucked into the album then. The rolling band guitars and organ of “We Are One”; its companion piece “Right by You”; the country pickin’ of “Shadow of the Sun”. Onto the blues of “Stone Broke”, then the melodic rockout of “Change My Music”, to the metaphysical ballad of “I Cannot Run”.
“Open Road” strums you to the places not only rock musicians get too, then develops into an open portrait of the substance fuelled life of that musician. “Indian Summer” is another lovely song with a plangent electric guitar setting the tone; while “Cherryade & Rock ‘n Roll” is a 50s rock and roll beat to Syd Barrett
There are no songwriting credits on the album, except “what a joy to be a Daintee”. Anth and Gary Dunn are the two original Daintees present, and, “I sailed with them through the arrogant 1980s of Thatcher’s Britain. They never faltered”. We need that sentiment again.