Track of the Day: The Divine Comedy - 'The Best Mistakes'

Having completed his third decade as a recording artist and announcing new album Charmed Life - The Best Of The Divine Comedy, Northern Irish singer-songwriter Neil Hannon has dropped brand new single ‘The Best Mistakes'.

Led by uplifting strings that open up the new offering into an explosion of raw, honest joy, ‘The Best Mistakes’ sees Hannon at his finest - a timely reminder of his songwriting legacy,

“I began writing 'The Best Mistakes' around 2007/8”, says Neil. “I got stuck after the first chorus and put it to one side. It wasn’t until I was putting together this compilation that the concept of ‘my best mistakes’ suddenly made sense. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other.”

The video for 'The Best Mistakes', directed by long term collaborator Raphaël Neal, finds Neil in retrospective mode casting a reflective gaze over his career. Raphaël says: “It was Neil's idea to have moments from his career projected onto him. Going through 30 years of imagery was really moving - so rich in colours, costumes, stories. We were witnessing an artist's journey. The song is about looking behind with kindness, remembering the highs and the lows, but also pays tribute to being at peace with the present. As Neil says in the lyrics, "if I had to choose between then and now I’d choose now."

A 24-track career-spanning roster of hit singles and fan favourites, compiled by Neil and remastered at Abbey Road Studios, Charmed Life includes monumental tracks ‘National Express’, ‘Something For The Weekend’, ‘Songs of Love’, ‘Our Mutual Friend’, ‘A Lady of A Certain Age’, ‘To The Rescue’ and ‘Norman and Norma’ - as well as ‘The Best Mistakes.’

The Best Of will arrive as a 24 track standard 2CD; double heavyweight black vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with download card; limited edition double heavyweight colour vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with download card; and as a limited edition 3CD edition containing the 24 track Best Of as well as “Super Extra Bonus Album” - a collection of new and unreleased recordings.

In 1990, musical history was made when a 20-year-old Neil Hannon signed his first record deal and began releasing one eclectic album after another under the name The Divine Comedy. 12 albums and hundreds of spellbinding shows later, Neil Hannon remains one of the finest singer-songwriters of his ilk.

Neil Hannon is also writing original songs for the film Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet, set to open in cinemas on March 17th, 2023.

Check out the cinematic video for 'The Best Mistakes' below:

Charmed Life - The Best Of Divine Comedy Tracklisting

1. Charmed Life
2. National Express
3. Norman And Norma
4. Something For The Weekend
5. Songs Of Love
6. The Best Mistakes
7. At The Indie Disco
8. Bad Ambassador
9. A Lady Of A Certain Age
10. Becoming More Like Alfie
11. Come Home Billy Bird
12. Have You Ever Been In Love
13. Our Mutual Friend
14. Generation Sex
15. How Can You Leave Me On My Own
16. Perfect Lovesong
17. Your Daddy’s Car
18. You'll Never Work In This Town Again
19. Absent Friends
20. Everybody Knows (Except You)
21. The Certainty Of Chance
22. Sunrise
23. To The Rescue
24. Tonight We Fly

Bonus (Deluxe 3CD / Deluxe Digital / LP download card)

1. I’ll Take What I Can Get
2. Don’t Make Me Go Outside
3. Who Do You Think You Are
4. The Adventurous Type
5. When When When
6. Home For The Holidays
7. Te Amo España
8. Perfect Lovesong 2021
9. Simple Pleasures
10. Those Pesky Kids

May 2022 live dates

Tuesday 17th: Cork Opera House
Thursday 19th: Olympia Theatre Dublin
Friday 20th: Olympia Theatre Dublin
Saturday 21st: Waterfront Hall Belfast, Northern Ireland