With the band’s popularity arguably at an all time high - and bums on seats guaranteed for another few years - now is the time for something a little…. out there.
So we get ‘Office Politics’, presented as a double album, the first section of which is set almost entirely in an office - somewhere Neil Hannon has never actually worked.
‘Office Politics’ is a portrait of the type of cartoon-y office you see on TV.
Neil references shows like Reginald Perrin and acknowledges the likes of Mad Men and - of course - The Office (‘both kinds’).
The title track introduces a guy who would “sell his granny for some high yield stocks / always thinks outside the box / always wears hilarious socks” before a story of an office party gone wrong.
‘Infernal Machines’ is an ode to industry, and the creepy machines that "do all the things that we cannot", an off-piste electro romp that could sit happily on the soundtrack to War of the Worlds .
Then there’s ’The Synthesiser Service Centre Super Summer Sale’, a piece of music more bonkers than the title suggests, with Neil semi-rapping a list of synthesisers over audio lunacy.
"The Office Politics idea - it sort of grounds the songs and ideas in mundane, every day life - which I could then dive bomb them with darkness”
Neil explains. “I want to show how dark forces are acting upon ordinary people's lives now. I guess I like to start with something that sounds normal - and then it goes strange"
Musically, the album is a glorious, endlessly fun mess of ideas. There are straight up Divine Comedy orchestral pop songs - the current single 'Norman and Norma' and the sublime 'Absolutely Obsolete’, for a start.
But there’s aoul soul and gospel, there’s electro-rock, oom-pah, primary school percussion, retro futurism and deliberately wonky keyboards. The kitchen sink is in there somewhere, I’m sure.
The album’s unique and varied sound was the result of him… not really caring.
“I’m not really thinking about fans. Or charts or pleasing people or stuff like that.
“I’ve always held to the principle that people warm to my music because I’ve always done whatever I wanted.
“I never really thought too deeply about releasing the record at the end of it. Though this album maybe takes that too far!”
Granted, he does take it far - but the result is a record that will reward repeated listens and never sound stale. It is also - undeniably - a completely unique Divine Comedy record. Not bad, considering there’s been eleven of them, so far.
"I tried not too think about this record too hard. I’d only have scared myself into thinking - oh I can’t release such a crazy album! And after all, the world deserves to know just how mental i truly am.”
Office Politics is out now. Divine Comedy play The Ulster Hall on October 7th. You can hear the full Neil Hannon interview by searching for Across the Line on BBC Sounds.
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