But in pop terms, can I just wave the flag for one
glorious exception? A hugely cheering, very intelligent band called the
Divine Comedy – largely comprising singer/songwriter Neil Hannon, and
various orchestral musicians – are going back on tour later this month,
with a new album, Victory for the Comic Muse, out in a few weeks.
Hannon’s
rich, swooping melodies are always maddeningly catchy and his lyrics
laugh-out-loud arresting. As long as this band thrives, music’s future
doesn’t look too grim.
I assume it’s the first album I’ve heard. Odd, decidedly odd. You’re never quite sure whether it is all a piss-take, a satire, a pastiche, an hommage, (perhaps it’s all of those things) to the likes of Tom Jones and Englbert himself. The lyrics though are indeed most amusing.
Leave a Reply