Adulting is very serious, isn’t it? Making sure you’re eating enough fibre, choosing the right home insurance, getting kids to school on time, keeping up with politics; it’s all so…serious. You know what isn’t? Divorce.
Yes, of course I mean the band from Nottingham. Their upbeat musical fusion of indie, punk, folk and pop elements could be their defining feature if it weren’t so damn unclassifiable. But what is clear about the band’s sound and energy is that it lends itself delightfully to a good time, and that is exactly what they deliver to a packed out Nice N Sleazy on the last Saturday night in November.
Fans brave and eager enough to navigate the evening’s icy conditions arrive early to be warmed up by local outfit Big Girl’s Blouse. They blitz through a thrilling set of punky tunes lead by vocalist Emmy Leishman, who dashes in and out of the audience with the charming assuredness of a headliner in the making.
A little space is given at the front of the foot-high stage to allow bands and tech crew to move in and out as they’re setting up but it’s obvious when Divorce finally take the stage for their performance that sold out tonight really does means SOLD OUT.
“This is a very fucking full room!” announces Tiger Cohen-Towell as the band are welcomed with huge cheers and applause. There’s an endearing ease about their presence, despite the initial crowd hype, and the set unwinds with the gently driving groove of Sex & The Millennium Bridge. The harmonies of Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow shimmer to life – shout out the sound person, the mix sounds brilliant from the off, which is uncommon in these subterranean Sauchiehall St boxes. The vocal dynamic of this pair is only one of Divorce’s standout characteristics, but its importance and beguiling beauty cannot be overstated. This, alongside their impeccable songcraft, is what elevates them above “6 Music darling” status though, judging by the audience demographic, they are undeniably that too!
Their set includes all 10 songs from their current recorded catalogue – the excellent Get Mean and Heady Metal EPs – as well as three brand new songs, showcasing the creative range and talents of the quartet collectively and as individual musicians. The contrasting tones of a song like Birds, oscillating between mellow and jaunty, fits snuggly beside the grungy lilting swagger of Right On Time, like your favourite 90s mixtape. It’s The Beautiful South meets Broken Social Scene. Similarly, the frivolous indignance of their breakout single Services feeds energetically into Scratch Your Metal, a melodic and maturely synth-driven pop song, as unabashedly earnest as it is catchy, and delivered with clear-eyed passion. There’s also some chat about the ducks at Tebay steeling themselves against today’s weather à la The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Silly stuff. And perfectly pitched.
That Hill is one of two reflections on life as a touring musician – the other, a new song Gears, extends the band’s ongoing metaphor of relationships as travel – and appropriately has a mid-era Fleetwood Mac-esque tension. Another slow burner, Heaven Is A Long Way, meditatively croons its way towards a melancholic climax, disappearing inside its own fuzzy crescendo.
The ridiculously catchy indie pop murder ballad Checking Out – ballad in the traditional sense of a narrative, not a slow song – closes the night on a high with the crowd singing along, jumping around and dancing from the stage all the way to the bar. It’s exactly what we need, nights like this, especially leading into the serious end of the year. If you’re someone who’s worrying about vitamin D supplements and heating bills over the coming months, consider that you may also need Divorce in your life.
Words and pictures: Kendall Wilson @softcrowdclassic