Average Customer Review 4.3 out of 5 stars (43 customer reviews)
With Absent Friends the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon finally establishes himself as one of the finest songwriters of a generation. Over successive albums he's slowly been moving in that direction--from curious pop novelty with an avid interest in camp kitsch to the sly storyteller of 2001's brilliant Regeneration. But Absent Friends is something else. He's still revelling in his supremely eccentric perspective--namely that of a 60s dandy who likes a drink--but now he's using it for dramatic not comedic effect. Quirky ditties "Come Home Billy Bird" and "My Imaginary Friend", respectively about a businessman trying to get home for his son's football match and invisible childhood playmates, manage to be both sweet and poignant. At the other end of the emotional scale, "The Wreck of the Beautiful", "Leaving Today" and "Our Mutual Friend" ponder love, loss and betrayal with a panache and dry wit that make the melancholy all the more staggering. And with sinister sweeping orchestras and eerie lounge--all Michael Caine in a sharp suit--echoing throughout, Absent Friends is a vintage masterpiece in every sense of the word. --Dan Gennoe
The Divine Comedy have been one of the British music scene's most interesting, if never influential, bands, combining lavish orchestral arrangements with witty and intellectual lyrics. However, since the frontman Neil Hannon's marriage in 1999, he has moved away from the arch wit of 'National Express' and 'Something for the Weekend' in favour of a more heartfelt and sincere sound. The first evidence of this was the Nigel Godrich-produced 'Regeneration', which had some interesting musical and lyrical ideas but was largely spoilt by Hannon adopting Radiohead as an influence (listen to Kid A and Regeneration back to back, it's an education), and, most damagingly of all, eschewing the sweeping arrangements that epitomise the Divine Comedy. Here, Hannon and his long-term collaborator Joby Talbot have returned to the orchestral, lush sound of Fin de Siecle and Casanova, where song after song sounds like a hybrid of Broadway musical, Scott Walker epic, Michael Nyman-esque soundtrack and, in the case of the splendid title track, even 60s-esque western. Fans of earlier Divine Comedy albums are almost certain not to be disappointed by this; stand-out tracks include the mighty 'Freedom Road', loosely based on Hannon's experiences touring America, the doom-laden epic 'Our Mutual Friend', which is about an especially
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