Description

Neil Hannon, a.k.a. the Divine Comedy, is the heir apparent to Scott Walker's neo-lounge throne. Hannon started his band in the early 1990s, releasing several albums of fairly ordinary guitar-pop, but by 1996's CASANOVA Hannon's aesthetic--swanky, orchestrated pop and cheeky, self-aggrandizing lyrics--was fully formed. Despite the less-than-stellar commercial potential of the music, Hannon stayed the course and continues to make oddly beautiful pop albums that are both ironic and strikingly poignant.

Biography

This Irish band has been led from its inception by Neil Hannon (b. 7 November 1970, Londonderry, Northern Ireland), the son of the Bishop of Clogher. Hannon originally formed the band in 1989 with John McCullagh (vocals) and drummer Kevin Traynor, and signed to Setanta Records (a spiritual home for wayward pop stars such as Frank And Walters and A House). The band's opening salvo was 1990's Fanfare For The Comic Muse. Filled with elegant, resourceful observations on the perversities of Irish and British life, this proved the most pop-orientated of Hannon's 90s work. Of his ensuing albums he would confess: "I was very interested in the purity of three chords and all that but I was lured away by polyphonic harmony." Following the album's release, McCullagh and Traynor elected to return to their studies with Hannon candidly pointing out that the decision was partially due to the band members "realising Neil's an arrogant, egocentric bastard".
The prevailing influences on the ensuing Liberation and Promenade included Michael Nyman, European art and Scott Walker. Promenade included "The Booklovers", in which Hannon recounted the names of some 60 authors, leaving a gap for them to answer (many of the replying voices were provided by the Irish comedian Sean Hughes). Hannon also struck up a fruitful working partnership with Joby Talbot, who was named BBC Young Composer Of The Year in 1996. Critics were full of praise for both albums, partly because of Hannon's ability to provide self-conscious but highly amusing interview copy.
A breakthrough beyond critical success came in 1996 with the highly accessible, yet bleak, Casanova, which put Hannon in the UK Top 20 courtesy of the singles "Something For The Weekend" (number 14) and "The Frog Princess" (number 15). He returned a few months later with the wondrous mini-album A Short Album About Love, featuring seven heavily orchestrated new songs including another Top 20 single, "Everybody Knows (Except You)". Hannon, by now working with an expanded Divine Comedy line-up, also collaborated with composer Michael Nyman. The Divine Comedy's final album for Setanta, Fin De Siècle, provided Hannon with his first Top 10 album placing in September 1998. The jaunty "National Express" entered the UK charts at number 8 in January 1999. A re-recorded version of "The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count", a track originally featured on Liberation, was released to promote the following year's compilation set, A Secret History.
The Divine Comedy's first album for new label Parlophone Records was released in March 2001. Regeneration was overseen by noted producer Nigel Godrich, and eschewed the orchestral pop leanings of Hannon's previous work in favour of a more understated and rock-orientated sound, with the other band members more involved in the creative process. The album proved to be the last by the expanded line-up of the Divine Comedy, although Hannon confirmed he would continue to record for Parlophone. He returned to the arch, orchestral style of his earlier albums on the warmly received Absent Friends.
DISCOGRAPHY: Fanfare For The Comic Muse (Setanta 1990)**, Liberation (Setanta 1993)***, Promenade (Setanta 1994)****, Casanova (Setanta 1996)****, A Short Album About Love mini-album (Setanta 1997)****, Fin De Siècle (Setanta 1998)***, Regeneration (Parlophone/Nettwerk 2001)***, Absent Friends (Parlophone/Nettwerk 2004)***.
COMPILATIONS: A Secret History (Setanta/Red Ink 1999)****.
VIDEOGRAPHY: Live At The Palladium (Parlophone 2004).

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