The Divine Comedy
A Secret History
****
This compilation is brilliant. Totally and utterly brilliant. I can't seem to listen to it without tapping my feet and thinking, for a moment or two, that I am Audrey Hepburn. Like Oscar W and others, Neil Hannon is a genius who playfully prods popular culture and society. Tracks like "Songs of Love" bring you back to a time when stiff skirts knee socks, and daddy's car were, well…used…and mourns their passing. Makes me wish that I were an extra on the set of Roman Holiday. The songs are well crafted, layered and fit together perfectly. Thank god they'll never make it up there with Christina and Kid. Neil and his "ever-absent" band (where are they?) are a million times better.
Suede
Head Music
***
Buy this like I did, if you have a gift certificate. If you don’t, buy some other album where Suede are themselves and not trying to be Blur. Head Music has some decent, even great tracks. But some of them arent. I suppose that's like all indie, right?