Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs) and Britt Daniel (Spoon) never really sounded particularly restricted within their respective bands, always offering fresh new angles on their melodic rock sounds. Formed with New Bomb Turk’s drummer Sam Brown, Divine Fits has a spontaneity to it right down to its ‘this is it’ album title, though it doesn’t differ greatly or take a progressive leap forward from the individuals’ former projects.
Despite an often collaborative approach to songwriting, these 11 tracks are still strongly defined by their lead vocalists’ approach. Boeckner’s move from Wolf Parade to Handsome Furs prompted a sexier, synth-led sound; here, he settles for a space somewhere in between those two bands, though there’s a bolder directness and urgent pace that comes to the fore. Daniel’s contributions hardly budge from the Spoon template but, in true Spoon fashion, the songs are reliably good. He bravely covers The Boy’s Next Door’s Shivers later in the album, but his gravely “Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!” is no match for the anxious fragility of the original’s “Spi-yeyiii-yeyiii-yeyeyeyi-yine.”
Even though there’s not a clear concept in place of what this ‘thing’ called Divine Fits actually is, there’s hardly time allowed for to think too hard about anything. The songs are upbeat and tight, and collapse into each other in a breathless fashion. When the buzz of newfound freedom dies down and a closer collaboration eventuates, things will really start to get interesting. In the meantime, let’s just settle into summer with this fun, freewheeling collection.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
Best Track: Baby Get Worse
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Transference SPOON, Face Control HANDSOME FURS
In A Word: Taut
