Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Whatever you may think of Kevin Rowlands, the voice behind the exceptional Dexys Midnight Runners, there can be no doubting of his commitment to the cause to which he sets his mind, the issues that get under his skin take root and manifest into actions and words, they are absolute and honest.
The Feminine Divine will divide, and it is a compelling conundrum that the band, now making sure that their shortened name of Dexys receives the proper and rightful respect available, will see that division as one of intrigue, for how can Kevin Rowland, Jim Paterson, Sean Read, and Michael Timothy be wrong, how can admitting that we as a species have got it wrong in just which is the stronger gender, that women should be recognised as the true leaders of our society, and that as men we need to understand our fault, our demonstrative fear that as has kept the feminine aspect in a metaphorical cage.
Where some will pay lip service, Kevin Rowland’s lyrics are unafraid to tackle a truth of existence, and with a sensational recurring sound supplied, the album focuses its gaze not on the form, but on the spirit, the strength, the will, the belief in the feminine as the Earth, that it requires our bended will to its completeness as a nurturing and forceful magic; a charmed resonance that will guide us if only we can stop waging war on the female resilience of the Muse.
Across tracks such as the opener, The One That Loves You, the fantastic It’s Alright Kevin (Manhood 2023), My Goddess Is, Dance With Me, and the album title track, The Feminine Divine, the interplay between soaring vocal and the occasional conversation between Mr. Rowland and the various instances of the women in his life, the regret that he displays for past declarations of his feelings towards the feminine, and the bowing to their divine right is stirring and fearsome.
An album that will divide with its content, but which will, as with all their albums, leave a defining image of the mind and the music of a modern man who has shown the belief in growth and the beauty of opening the soul to change.
Ian D. Hall