Oh dear, this does not bode well. Though we here in Vancouver continue to endure overcast, chilly weather that smacks not a whit of an impending summer, today I noticed the air was full of cottonwood fluff. That can only mean one thing: the hay fever season is upon us. I don't want to dwell too long on this topic, Dear Readers, since whenever I whine about my allergic reactions I am reminded of Piggy from Lord of the Flies with his "ass-mar". Suffice to say that if I'm going to be gummed up, I at least want sensuous sunshine and warm sea breezes to go with it. Humph. My kingdom for a Kleenex and a Klaritin.
All of this dovetails much too nicely with the musique I've been listening to lately en voiture, namely The Divine Comedy. Ah, Neil Hannon is the man of my moment. The sweeping, swirling lushness of the arrangements. The poppy catchiness of the tunesmithing. The perfectly measured doses of ironic cheesiness. The cleverly subversive, farcical, yet tender lyrics. Indeed, I declare, as I faint dramatically onto my day bed, that Hannon may well be Noel Coward reincarnated. Only Irish.
Did I hear someone mention cheese? I see the 2006 Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling competition has discharged itself in the traditional manner. As the BBC put it, "Dozens hurt in cheese roll race." Personally I don't see the appeal of running down a steep incline somewhere in deepest, darkest Gloucestershire, chasing a 7 lb round of Double Gloucester. Now a nice truckle of Stilton or a wheel of Stinking Bishop would be well worth the effort, but not a boring, bland Double Gloucester...
The Divine Comedy - The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count
The Divine Comedy - National Express
The Divine Comedy - Gin Soaked Boy
The Divine Comedy - Something For The Weekend
Oh, go ahead and cheat - just buy this.
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4 comments:
FiL,
Just listened to a sample of the Devine Comedy. I think there must have been something else in the air a little more wacky than cottonwood fluff for you to appreciate it so much... Hope you've had a good day!
T
the divine comedy are the greatest ever band ever from Northern Ireland ever !!!
lisburnpete
How could you post the Divine Comedy and miss out 'The Frog Princess'?
I blame the pollen getting to you.
Good call on the Noel Coward comparison.
Dearest T, I am MOST surprised. I thought you of all people would have appreciated the style, verve, and wit. Bien sur, to each their own, but I do beg you to listen again & reconsider. Or else you might have lisburnpete to deal with... ;-)
Monsieur Le Woof, 'twas not an easy task to choose. I would have been guilty of egregious sins of omission whatever I left out. Perhaps on a later post.
Colin, a technical term indeed! I've not managed to see Hannon et al live, but perhaps the clean living of Vancouver will coax a visit, if the pollen doesn't scare them off...
FiL
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