Search - The Divine Comedy :: Fin de Siècle

Sixties Pop - 21st Century Style

Ralph Quirino | Keswick, Ontario Canada | 08/06/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Make no mistake: this album, like the "band" that recorded it, is definitely an acquired taste. So, by means of explanation for those, like myself, who had previously never heard of the band, here's a bit of what I thought I heard when I played this the first time: Burt Bacharach, Francoise Hardy, The Pet Shop Boys, Roxy Music, Dusty Springfield, "I Am The Walrus"-styled Beatles, Tom Jones, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. This is very wry, very urbane pop, loaded with textures and sounds, rich in orchestration and choral work, framing Neil Hannon's oh-so-fey-yet-oh-so-winning voice gorgeously and effortlessly. It sounds like nothing you've heard yet cribs from the above shamelessly, unapologetically, successfully. Listen to it at the wrong time of day and you'll think it the worst indulgence by someone who's clearly gifted. However, listen to it at the right moment and you'll hear nuance and subtlety buried beneath a rich canvas of guitars, strings, trumpets and harpsichords. From the kick off of "Generation Sex" to the surrealistic lyricism of "Sunrise" (perhaps the only song about Ireland to dispense with the usual trappings of uillean pipes and pennywhistles and opting, instead, for an Eric Carmen "Boats Against The Current" feel) Fin De Siecle is a tribute to all that came before and a singpost of how pop can succeed in the face of rap, thrashcore punk, new country and pseudo-latino disco-pop. A noble album with plenty of style and panache."

Wow.

Alice C. Teeple | State College, PA United States | 08/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Eric the Gardener" is one of the most beautiful songs ever penned. I adore this album..."Generation Sex" is also a fantastic, wry commentary on modern society. For an intelligent, fun, entirely listenable album of finely-crafted music and swoonable singing, get this album immediately. It's absolutely perfect."