The Divine Comedy – Promenade (1994/2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 02:35:08 minutes | 1,86 GB | Genre: Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Britpop, Baroque Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Divine Comedy Records

While in appearance, it seems like a sequel to Liberation — a similar cover shot down to the typeface that is on the front, in this case showing Hannon in front of the IM Pei-designed entrance to the Louvre, while the back shows a similarly Rococo piece of decoration — Promenade is in fact even more extremely and defiantly non-rock than its predecessor. With a larger number of string performers to accompany him, not to mention someone on oboe, sax, and cor anglais (English horn), Hannon retains only drummer/co-producer Darren Allison from the previous record to make what remains his most self-conscious art release to date. The opening “Bath” sets the course, with seacoast sounds and a brief spoken word bit that turns into a minimalist Michael Nyman homage before slamming into the song proper, where the guitars and bass take a back seat to the choir, strings, and woodwinds, all the while driven along by Allison’s solid percussion. From there all kinds of twists and turns emerge in an alternate universe where classical instrumentation offers as much pop as a guitar strum. The extreme archness of “Going Downhill Fast” is also a pub singalong, while “Don’t Look Down” builds to a dramatic, striking ending. Hannon’s wickedly sharp wit informs almost everything; “The Booklovers” is the clear winner on that count, as Hannon tremulously recites a number of authors’ names (with an appropriate accompanying sample or aside, often quite hilarious) over a stately arrangement. “A Seafood Song” and “A Drinking Song” celebrate exactly what they say they do, the latter offering up the great line “All my lovers will be pink and elephantine!” At the same time, the tender side of Hannon, which has sometimes been ignored, surfaces more than once, with “The Summerhouse,” a nostalgic, wonderfully gentle piece on a lost season of love. This turns out to be one of Hannon’s best songs ever. – Ned Raggett

(more…)

The Divine Comedy – Foreverland (Deluxe) (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:38:18 minutes | 1016 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Divine Comedy Records

The Divine Comedy are an orchestral pop band from Northern Ireland formed in 1989 and fronted by Neil Hannon. Neil Hannon has time and again proved to be one of the UK’s best and most original songwriters. “Foreverland” (11th studio album) exemplifies this, with references to everything from Catherine The Great to the French Foreign Legion. A two-disc deluxe edition comes with a bonus CD featuring a studio recording of In May, Neil Hannon and Frank Alva Buecheler’s acclaimed chamber opera, which explores the relationship between a dying son and his absent father through a series of letters. This is sung by Neil Hannon, with string quintet and piano.

(more…)

The Divine Comedy – Bang Goes The Knighthood (Remastered Deluxe Edition) (2010/2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:51:23 minutes | 1,29 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Divine Comedy Records

Bang Goes The Knighthood was first released in 2010. Written in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Bang.. took an acerbic look into the lives of the rich and powerful, and their impact on the rest of us “down in the street below.” It was described in the Sunday Times as “a collection worthy of Randy Newman at his best” while Pitchfork said, “Neil Hannon continues to quietly and effectively operate his own one-man niche, thanks to impeccable arrangements and tightrope-walking songwriting.” Includes the singles At The Indie Disco and I Like, and live favourites Assume The Perpendicular and The Complete Banker.

The CD release consists of 2 discs: the original remastered album, with a second CD of B-sides, demos and alternate versions lovingly curated by Neil Hannon, much of which has never been heard before.

(more…)