Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The charm of The Divine Comedy is never in doubt, it can be slightly misplaced, falling into the slight ditch of baroque uncertainty and even be completely have the point missed by those who dare not take the flight of fancy further than believing every song should be reminiscent of the wit of Oscar Wilde or Noel Coward. It can have all of those insults hurled against it but Neil Hannon will still come out on top and be the one to raise the pop standard higher in Foreverland.

Foreverland will add ammunition to the wary scattergun thoughts of those who find themselves falling into the camp of dismissing the ornate band and elaborate lyrics in which wit stands tall, there will always be those who find such ability to take a subject and give it a extravagant feel, a decorative stance, and sneer at it as if it the culmination of all that is bad in the world of popular music. Delusions aside, the marriage of lyrical groove and charming, almost sensuous, storytelling is one that The Divine Comedy excel in, that small seed of a line which grows in stature to be a full blown tale is one that should never be dismissed or taken away from the ears of the fan.

Joined by a rich tapestry of musicians, including Cathy Davey who employs great vocal favour on the tracks Napoleon Complex and Funny Peculiar, Ian Watson on accordion, Andrew Skeet’s almost heavenly piano, Tim Weller on drums and Simon Little on bass guitar, Neil Hannon sets out Foreverland with great speed and lush imagery, the odd delve in to the majestic and the strength of character that has seen the band thrive in a world which for some cannot fathom.

With the songs Catherine The Great, How Can You Leave Me On My Own, the typical flavour of lyrical joy in I Joined The Foreign Legion (To Forget) and the mighty swish of a blade that even literary anti-hero Harry Flashman would have taken sadistic delight in the track A Desperate Man all marking the return of The Divine Comedy with a flourish, the cosmic joke and egg on faces will be seen to scramble the thoughts of those willing to stand in the way of the genre and take pot shots at what they perceive to be songs that mean nothing to the modern age; it is the opposite, these are songs and pieces of music that remain timeless and exquisite, divine indeed.

Ian D. Hall