The Divine Comedy
A Secret History (The Best of)
(Setanta/Red Ink)
Simply being British -- or rather overly
so -- must be the tallest trade barrier between Europe and North America, at least when it comes
to pop music. Neil Hannon has been the undeserving victim of just this sort of
discrimination. His band, The Divine Comedy, has tallied five Top 20 singles in the United
Kingdom, yet it remains beyond obscure. That may thankfully change with the U.S. release of A
Secret History, a best-of collection harvested from the band's five LPs. Hannon's songwriting
is peppered with the sense of place that a potential fan on this side of the pond may not
understand, but given a chance will transport him or her to an entirely new place. Literate and
common-man at the same time, his musical styles remind me of a de-gothed Nick Cave. He's
alternately skewering (the upbeat "Generation Sex") and self-deprecating (the newly
recorded "Gin Soaked Boy"). Musically, Hannon moves easily from cabaret and show
tunes to pure pop. Hannon even dabbles in electronic beats with rewarding results on "I've
Been to a Marvellous Party," a Noel Coward song that provides him with a link to the roots
of his own quirky Englishness.
Commercial success in the United States for U.K. artists rarely tracks to talent, and in that
regard, The Divine Comedy may well share the fate of Blurs of the world. But if any single effort
can reverse the trend, it must A Secret History.
Rating: 8
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