The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy is essentially Neil Hannon — a Northern Irish songwriter of extraordinary wit, intelligence, and musical ambition. Formed in Enniskillen in 1989, the band signed to Setanta Records and released a series of albums that built a devoted following without achieving mainstream success. Hannon's orchestral pop — influenced by Scott Walker, Noël Coward, and the French chanson tradition — was unlike anything else in British music.

'Promenade' (1994) and 'Casanova' (1996) established Hannon as one of the most gifted songwriters in Britain. 'Something for the Weekend', 'The Frog Princess', and 'National Express' were all excellent singles. 'A Short Album About Love' (1997) was a remarkable achievement — seven songs about love, recorded with a full orchestra, that showed Hannon at the peak of his powers.

The Divine Comedy have continued to record and tour with remarkable consistency. 'Regeneration' (2001), produced by Nigel Godrich, was a more experimental direction. 'Bang Goes the Knighthood' (2010) and 'Office Politics' (2019) were both strong late-career albums. Hannon remains one of the most distinctive and underrated voices in British music.