THE DIVINE COMEDY

THE DIVINE COMEDY
REGENERATION (2001)
320 KBPS

Divine Comedy singer and songwriter Neil Hannon has always been a frustratingly erratic talent. At his best, he is a writer and singer of ballads without peer among his contemporaries, capable of producing songs, such as "The Dogs & The Horses" or "Sunrise", of which Tom Waits might be proud. At his worst, he is an insufferably smug perpetrator of bumptious novelty hits, notably the fatuous sing-along "National Express". Watching Neil Hannon's career has been a little like witnessing the spirits of Scott Walker and Jonathan King fighting for control of the same mind. Regeneration hopefully marks the point at which Walker finally triumphs: there is, happily, not a single joke, punch line or zany sound effect to found. Hannon has taken his inspiration from his previous best effort, A Short Album About Love, but replaced the rueful gloominess of that fine record with a heartfelt and touching optimism: "Perfect Lovesong" and "Love What You Do" are guilelessly joyful, and even when anger manifests itself on "Dumb It Down" and "The Beauty Regime", there is a sense of the righteousness that comes of fighting the good fight. The tunes and arrangements are exquisite throughout: Hannon is right back on form.

1. Timestretched
2. Bad Ambassador
3. Perfect Lovesong
4. Note To Self
5. Lost Property
6. Eye Of The Needle
7. Love What You Do
8. Dumb It Down
9. Mastermind
10. Regeneration
11. The Beauty Regime

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