How long have The Divine Comedy been around? Well, due to a lack of research on my part (ahem) I couldn’t accurately tell you, but it’s at least seven or so years. Seven or so years of producing some of the most beautiful, quirky, sarcastic, ironic and ultimately intelligent songs. There are few bands left from the britpop era that have any sort of similar track record. Maybe the Manics, Pulp, Radiohead. But that’s only three. And they’re pretty much the only ‘big’ indie bands left worth listening to nowadays – the jury’s out on Supergrass and Blur at the moment.
So, that’s pretty lofty company. But The Divine Comedy deserve it. Neil Hannon, the Irish lead singer and lyricist, deserves it. Because for years
But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves now. We should, as per usual, start somewhere near the beginning of The Divine Comedy tale. Let’s say, well, 1993. First album Liberation was a little flawed but still has some gems on it. Of course hardly anyone took any notice of it. For some strange reason, TDC didn’t release any singles until ‘Casanova’. And inbetween that was the superb, utterly charming ‘Promenade.’ Which has about four ‘single-tastic’ type tunes, including the jaunty ‘Tonight We Fly’ and the luscious ‘When The Light’s Go Out All Over Europe’, an ode to European cinema, sprinkled with a dash of humour. TDC have never been afraid to display their intellectualism, and on ‘The Booklovers’ they celebrate it, which, if nothing else, is a list of authors who simply must be read.
‘Casanova’ was TDC’s third album, and the first to have singles released from it. And the beginning of TDC being a ‘top thirty chart smash’ band. Which isn’t bad for the first singles from a band. ‘Casanova’ too is a bit of a mixed band, but does contain two TDC ‘classics’ – ‘Becoming More Like Alfie’ which can’t fail to make you smile with it’s ironic take on sixties womanising, and ‘Something for the Weekend’. Which, for a while, became TDC theme. And deservedly so.
I’d never heard of the band at this point, until one of the music mags (Select –Ed) gave away ‘Becoming more Like Alfie’ on a free cassette. But then a kind of love affair began. And shortly after I began University ‘A Short Album About Love’ was released, and it became part of the soundtrack to my first year (which, as most ex-students will tell you, is by far the easiest and most fun). Full of string-laden ballads (before it became a cliché to do so), it’s easy-listening sure, but so much more than that. And ‘Everybody Knows (Except you)’ has already applied to more women than I care to remember! It was this album that brought TDC fame. Everybody Knows dented the top twenty, the tours sold out (well, almost) and people started wearing TDC T-shirts at festivals – a sure sign of a band on the edge of fame. Charity Album track ‘I’ve Been to a Marvellous Party’ sold well too, despite being, well, the oddest TDC track so far.
The first time I ever saw them was at Reading ’98, where they played in the mid-afternoon on the Saturday. It was simplicity itself to be down right at the front, and from where we were standing (dancing, jumping etc.) the crowd seemed ecstatic. But Reading ’99 was far better. Playing a little later to a far bigger crowd, Neil Hannon played the crowd like a master, playing the favourites at what seemed to be exactly the right time, and well, just seeming happy to be there. Unlike the majority of out miserable pop stars at the mo. The most recent time I saw them was at The Junction in Cambridge, which was simultaneously broadcast live on Radio One. And took my breath away. I’ve seen Blur, My Life Story, Embrace, Space, Carter (ahem) and Gomez there. But TDC outplayed all of them. Out of all of ‘our’ pop stars, Neil Hannon seems to be the only one who loves playing live.
Their most recent album, Fin-De-Siecle, was released in 1998, and is possibly their worst album to date. Whilst we normally never condemn experimentation in music, well, this time they went a little too far on a few tracks. For my (quite open) tastes anyway. Sweden, Eric The Gardener and ‘Here Comes The Flood’ all sounded like they were taken from a Broadway musical too. But, as usual, Neil Hannon never actually lets us down – Commuter Love is the sweetest, least ironic romantic ballad they’ve ever produced, The Certainty of Chance is almost profound (and I use that word VERY carefully), and Sunrise, Hannon’s take on the Irish problem, whilst a little simplistic, is hugely life-affirming. And what’s wrong with that, eh? Cynicism is only fun for a while after all. The singles from the album varied in quality and performance. Generation Sex got them noticed again after the two or so year break, The Certainty of Chance sunk without a trace, and National Express gave them their biggest hit ever, making them, briefly at least, known even to kids who normally only buy a single if it’s got five or so beautiful people smiling at them from the cover.
TDC have just left their record company Setanta after all this time and signed to Parlophone. Now we were quite excited about this at first until we remembered how they treated My Life Story, dropping them after all five of the singles from the album went top forty, and the last release, Strumpet, making the top thirty. Still, if TDC find huge success than I’m sure the deal will be very lucrative for them. And why not? Anyway, Sentanta recently released a greatest hits package entitled ‘A Secret History’ which went into the Top 10 album charts (No.4, I believe – Ed), and once again fame looked ready to take hold of them properly. Until the new single off the album, Gin Soaked Boy, only dented the top forty for one week. Which seems to be a bit of a trend for TDC. Here’s hoping that the next album, supposed to be sounding quite different from previous albums (but don’t bands always say that), will bring them the fame they deserve.
The latest album, 'Regeneration' has just been released and will be covered here soon.
NO.2 - Ooberman
Ooberman come from Liverpool, have so far released 6 singles (well, one was an e.p. but who's counting) and are, all in all pretty wonderful. Intelligent, fun pop music, basically, where for once every song doesn't sound exactly like the last. To find out more about them, check out their website at www.ooberman.com.
It's a pretty wonderful site with free tracks, photo's, downloads, a chat room (where this hack got mercilessly criticised for saying that their single, Blossoms falling sounds a bit like The Lightening Seeds. I'm afraid it does a little, but it's the only track that does). That's the wonder of Ooberman, you see, Because unlike most bands you just don't know what the next track is going to sound like. Which is pretty refreshing these days. Okay, lets get some details down. The band are: Danny Popplewell (vocals), Sophia Churney (keyboards, vocals), Steve Flett (bass), Andy Flett (guitar), Alan Kelly (the drummer). And all you need to know is that, yes, Sophia is truly beautiful, and Danny will steal the hearts of many. Everything a good pop band needs then.
The Album, The Magic Treehouse, was released last year, and six singles have also been released. In chronological order, then....
Sugarbum/Tears From a Willow - released on 7inch on Transcopic.
Sugarbum is fast frantic and very funny. A bright and breezy pop song which celebrates life pretty damn well, whilst Tears From A Willow is a pyschedelic paeon to friendship, includes great lyrics and changes style, ooh, at least five or six times. It costs about six pounds if you can track it down - I got my copy from Sister Ray who delivered it pretty quickly, and the address is in the links page. A word of warning though - I was quoted the price of £2.50 when I bought it online, but charged six quid when it was delivered. They're just damn lucky it's so good, or complaints would have follow
But Why Did My Igloo Collapse (almost is) again, another song which you can't fail to smile too, but sweet and balladic at times. According to an interview in the Maker, Danny said that the last 15 seconds (by my count 20 - pedantic ed.) are his favourite recorded so far.... and he may just be right. Live again (Don't Die Father) is a little too earnest, and a little too open, and sounds a little clunky. About the only song where accusations of 'sixth-form college poetry' may apply. Sorry, but it's true. And final track Honeydew is the story of a rabbit who gets caught in a trap and tears his paw off....lovely, I'm sure all will agree. and it's okay. but, well, it's not something I want to listen to, like, every d
Tears From A Willow - was re-released in October but sadly failed to chart. See the review above for details of the title track, and whilst I normally rave about b-sides, sadly the two present here are the weakest so far from Danny and co.
The other tracks on the album, Roro Blue, Sur La Plage, Physics Disco, Amazing in Bed et al, all followed the Ooberman formula of lush ballads, crazed pop and a sprinkling of pyschedlia to joyous effect, and despite the fact that the band have recently been dropped by their record company, they are still together, and a new single, Dolphin Blue was released late last year. To read our interview with lead singer Danny Popplewell, click here.
My Life Story have been together, in one form or another, for the best part of the decade, and it hasn't been the easiest ride for them. They've already been dropped by two record companies, and have come so close to fame without ever actually achieving it.
The music press has been notoriously fickle (even for them) with the band, spending a few months at a time praising the band before criticising harshly, presumably for failing to sell enough records and become the next Oasis. Fortunately MLS never wish to be the next Oasis. They're far better than that. Intelligent, funny and touching all at once, MLS add glamour and spice to anyone's lives who have been fortunate to see them. In a world of dull lead singers and even duller band members, singer Jake Shillingford dazzles at every gi
Newly signed to It Records, the music press behind them again (check out Johnny Cigarettes review of Ooberman in the NME for instance, where he concluded 'My Life Story - You're country needs you') and their next release (hopefully) being Neverland, if they don't make it now.....well, I don't know what they'll have to do to be successful.
And whilst some tracks have aged a little, the best of the album, 'Motorcade', 'Girl A, Girl B, Boy C', and of course 'Sparkle', sound joyously fresh today. Live at the London Astoria 2 in May Motorcade sounded better, and bigger, than ever before. They're not only prepared to play old favourites, but also to improve on them.
And the emerald green saga proves how strong a band they are. The band have released four versions of the song so far, with the same lyrics but different styles of music, at first as a reaction against having to produce so many b-sides, but now something so much more than that, as they try out different styles, showing how strong Jake's lyricism is, as the song sounds even fresher with every version they record.
To sum up in brief, you know when a band who produces superb b-sides there's no end to their talent. And if this gushing is becoming a little tedious, then I apologise. But a band this important deserve to be noticed.
Hopefully soon the charts will no longer be filled with manufactured crap, and the day that MLS headline Glastonbury or Reading will be the day I know the world is finally making sense. MLS live on hope. Have survived on hope. Now, finally, they should get what they deserve.
Alex Finch.
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