The Divine Comedy

Neil Hannon, the Northern Irish singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who bills himself on record as the Divine Comedy, is the kind of musical personality they just don't breed in America. Equal parts Scott Walker, Burt Bacharach, Michael Nyman, and No‘l Coward, Hannon pokes fun at all aspects of modern life and culture in his lushly, sometimes kitschily arranged pop ditties. His lyrics rarely fail to display erudition with a nod and a wink, but it's his dramatic baritone and knack for writing unshakable tunes that make the Divine Comedy more than just a chucklesome novelty act.

Recorded live with a full orchestra, A Short Album About Love isn't consistently brilliant, but "In Pursuit of Happiness," "Everybody Knows (Except You)," and the gorgeous "Timewatching" are top-notch examples of Hannon's craft. Fin de Siecle charms with "National Express," "Commuter Love," and "Eric the Gardener," then overindulges in smarmy grandiosity. Regeneration finds Hannon working with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and adopting a more restrained tone. The laugh quotient is down, unfortunately, but the melodies are as sweet as ever. On Absent Friends, Hannon reconnects with his wit and his love of lushness (the orchestra's back); he also allows himself a new, plainspoken emotionalism that, at its deepest ("Leaving Today," "Charmed Life"), is surprisingly touching.

A Secret History does a decent job of compiling Hannon's '90s work, though several tracks lack for the context of their original albums. "Your Daddy's Car," "The Summerhouse," and "Becoming More Like Alfie" are standouts. Still, the best introduction to the Divine Comedy can be found only in the import racks, via three British Setanta releases: Liberation (1993), Promenade (1994), and Casanova (1996). Each of these discs is a witty chamber-pop tour de force, worthy of at least four stars. (MAC RANDALL)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide