Those who find The Divine Comedy irritating complain about Neil Hannon’s tendency towards archness and his desire to send himself or others up. Would, say, Damon Albarn call one of his albums Bang Goes The Knighthood?
The key to appreciating Hannon’s shtick is to accept that on every album there will be songs like Office Politics’ Philip And Steve’s Furniture Removal Company – a jingle based around a ‘sitcom idea’ about the early lives of future modern classical giants Philip Glass and Steve Reich.
But there will also be songs like Absolutely Obsolete, which encapsulates a deteriorating relationship using cues from Lennon and Hall & Oates. Hannon’s 12th album includes more of the former, so while detractors may remain unconvinced, those of us who can’t get enough of The Divine Comedy will wallow in these 16 new gems.
7/10
Ben Wardle
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