Kevin Coyne & Siren - Dandelion Years 1969-1972

You may not jump into the sea, but you’ll be hooked

A singer-songwriter who was never afraid to give the swerve to traditional notions of career progression (“The thought of those leather trousers put me off as much anything,” was his pithy explanation for declining an invitation to audition as Jim Morrison’s successor in The Doors), Kevin Coyne nonetheless recorded more than 40 albums during a life that was cut short in 2004 when, aged 60, he succumbed to lung fibrosis. The three years since have seen his sprawling oeuvre become the subject of a long-overdue reappraisal, of which this 3-CD set, comprising three albums cut for the Dandelion label (two of them as part of Siren), plus a handful of bonus tracks, is perhaps the most pleasing consequence. With the exception of the stark Asylum, one of many Coyne tunes to reflect his experiences as a social therapist in a mental hospital, the first, self-titled Siren album (1969) is solid but unspectacular. Peaking with the intense Fetch Me My Woman, 1971’s Strange Locomotion reveals a band now in full command of its raw, blues-infused sound. The real gem, however, is Coyne’s 1972 solo effort, Case History. Again informed by his experiences working in the care system, the album is possessed of a subtle but affecting power.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Dandelion/Cherry Red | CRCDM BOX 2

Reviewed by David Davies
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