A warm and inviting debut that shows a band unafraid to experiment whilst sharing a piece of who they are.
If you want an insight into the band Divorce and the themes they explore, look no further than the origin of the name of their debut album “Drive to Goldenhammer”: Goldenhammer is a fictional place that’s a conglomerate of various associations the Nottingham based band have of their home turf, the East Midlands. They have sighted cultural inspirations from the area too, including things as wide-ranging as ‘Wallace and Gromit’ and ‘The Archers’, with vocalist Tiger Cohen-Towell saying: “We’re very inspired by the culture within the regions that we’re from, and the eerie nostalgia, the line between fiction and reality.” It’s an intriguing creative well to tap from, and with the help of producer Catherine Marks – of boygenius and Foals production fame – they manage to do so with the eloquence of a band far more seasoned.
Introduced with laughter over the beat of a synthesiser, the opener ‘Antarctica’ see the band find their groove right away with warm acoustics, an easy rhythm and sweet female background harmonies from Cohen-Towell as Felix Mackenzie-Barrow takes lead, the lyrics speaking of saving a newborn calf whilst a relationship is simultaneously dying (“I was made to love you / But the living made me weak”). Cohen-Towell and Mackenzie-Barrow take turns singing lead on ‘Lord’, a country-folk track with a brooding indie-rock heart, where Cohen-Towell remembers the unsure, teenage early days of her first queer relationship: “Oh, I can feel your heart through your fleece / It’s a short black skirt / It’s the pen in your pocket / Baby, are you writing to me?”
There is a beautiful irony to the pure sweetness in Cohen-Towel’s voice when she sings “I’m stuck myself, go fuck myself” on the rambling, weaving ode to a self destructive relationship ‘Fever Pitch’, while the moody ‘Karen’ bursts into full-on 90s grunge. “Takes a lot to make a person / Half as strong as strong as you deserve them / I will try to be that person / Every day I am alive,” Mackenzie-Barrow sings on ‘Parachuter’ against Cohen-Towell’s perfect harmonies, the song that ultimate ode to love surviving the tough times. ‘Hangman’ is a real but still tender – and even joyful – look at working within the care sector, inspired by Mackenzie-Barrow’s own experience. “If you need me to be kind, I will be so very kind,” he sings, “If you need me to be selfless, I will shuffle through the mess.”
‘All My Freaks’, with its bright synths and pop-rock riffs, takes a satirical look at the complaints that so many musicians make about the business via the eyes of a fictional up-and-comer, while the swelling and rising ‘Old Broken String’, featuring some great, sombre fiddle work from Chris Haigh, sees Mackenzie-Barrow proclaiming he would be there for the one he loves no matter the cost or where it may take him. Her vocals veering between mimicking Karen O and Beth Gibbons, Cohen-Towell’s voice screeches and lurches against raw guitar as she laments not being able to get into the mind of another to understand them.
“We really wanted to make sure that warmth was something people could feel, because that is such a big part of the Midlands,” said guitarist Adam Peter Smith of the album, and showcase that warmth they have, making an album full of gutsy spirit, but also real depth of heart; it’s so effective, in fact, that they might want to get the East Midlands Tourist Board on the phone. But if a trip to the Nottingham area isn’t feasible for you right now, you can always “Drive to Goldenhammer” instead.
