divine

This summer, I fell under a musical spell. A few artists were put into heavy rotation, including The Divine Comedy.

Neil Hannon's music is atmospheric and layered, with lush orchestration and swelling strings. His lyrics are witty and melancholic. I liked several songs instantly. And they just get better each time I hear them. This reviewer succintly sums up what is great about this album:

Upon first listen you may dismiss this as string laden and pretentious, with nary a memorable tune to be found. But as is the case with all of Neil Hannon's albums, upon the third or maybe even fourth go-round everything becomes apparent, the lush atmospherics, the Scott Walker homages, the wistful melancholia. This is one of those rare albums that rewards over time, and I tip my hat to any artist that can pull this off in today's musical climate.

"Tonight We Fly"
Tonight we fly
Over the chimneytops, skylights, and slates,
Looking into all your lives
And wondering why
Happiness is so hard to find ...

And when we die
Oh, will we be that disappointed or sad?
If heaven doesn't exist
What will we have missed?
This life is the best we've ever had.