The Divine Comedy: Charmed Life review – the Poet Laureate of Pop Music collected

Describing Neil Hannon Neil Hannon as the Poet Laureate of Pop Music isn't as much an exaggeration as you might think. His songwriting connects classic styles (from Burt Bacharach/Hal David to Scott Walker) with neo-classical arrangements (Michael Nyma), while his lyrics invoke natural, poignant, and witty/wise storytelling as delivered by PG Wodehouse (as well as other literary figures such as F Scott Fitzgerald, Anton Chekov and William Wordsworth).

During the initial lockdowns in 2020, Hannon celebrated his creative outlet’s 30th anniversary with Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time, a 24-disc box set that wrapped up his output in a velvet cravat and a silk cummerbund.

Charmed Life is the core but no less pleasurable and less hefty financial option. The two-disc version features 23 songs we know and love, from National Express, At the Indie Disco and A Lady of a Certain Age to Your Daddy’s Car, Absent Friends and the none more Hannonesque new tune, The Best Mistakes). The three-disc version (wryly named Super Extra Bonus) features 11 new and unreleased songs, including a new version of Perfect Lovesong.

The attractively designed package (as is usual with Divine Comedy’s sophisticated work ethic) and its contents, however, amount to more than just a condensed overview of Neil Hannon’s work: it also provides a valid reason for calling him the Poet Laureate of Pop Music. No arguments.

[ thedivinecomedy.com ]