The Divine Comedy - 'Diva Lady' (Parlophone) Released 12/06/06

Now in their umpteenth year and with career zeniths that include writing a song for Father Ted and über-geek anthems like ‘National Express’, you’d think The Divine Comedy would be resting on their laurels and ready to call it a day. But no, Neil Hannon has penned, arranged and produced a new album with a wholly stripped down sound devoid of ‘modern recording techniques’. And Lead single ‘Diva Lady’ proves that a long as you’ve got an eye for a cracking tune and astute lyrics, you don’t need a glossy sheen to your tune. Better still, clever b-side ‘Don’t Blame The Young’ struts along with an almost Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie swagger. Compliments don’t come much better than that.