Album Review: Divine Comedy, Foreverland

Hot on the heels of a thrilling star turn alongside Conor O'Brien and Amanda Palmer performing 'Station to Station' at the BBC Bowie Proms, Neil Hannon returns with his eleventh studio album - his first in six long years. Foreverland is an exceedingly pleasing album that perfectly distils the essence of Hannon's craft, featuring sumptuous strings and jaunty melodies across twelve songs that playfully interrogate everyday relationships.

For example, Hannon reveals that lead single 'Catherine the Great' is "the kind of love song you write if you have been watching too much BBC4." History haunting the mundanity of ordinary life is never far away, such as on the opening track 'Napolen Complex'.

Hannon often has his tongue firmly in his cheek, sending-up his tendency to be needlessly forlorn on 'How Can You Leave Me On Me Own' and producing a perfect Divine Comedy pop song in the process, complete with handclaps and an unexpectedly upbeat tone.

However, Foreverland is essentially a collection of love songs and there are numerous moments of heartfelt emotion. 'The One Who Loves You' muses on why is it so difficult to find love, but concludes that it's always worth persevering rather than giving up.

His inimitable style probably won't win him truck-loads of YouTube views, but long-term Divine Comedy heads will be thrilled with this swoonsome suite of classic Hannon songs. Foreverland is his long-awaited reminder that his music will be around forever.

Out September 2.