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Apr 05, 2019 By Christopher Roberts The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy, the orchestral-pop project of Northern Irish singer/songwriter/composer Neil Hannon, has announced a new album, Office Politics, and shared its first single, “Queuejumper.” Befitting its title, the album was announced via an amusing fake office memo from Hannon. Office Politics is due out June 7. Hannon has also announced some UK and Ireland tour dates. Check out “Queuejumper” below, as well as the text of Hannon’s memo and the tour dates. Above is the album’s cover art, below is the single’s cover art.

Office Politics is the twelfth Divine Comedy album and the follow-up to 2016’s Foreverland. It’s billed as a double album. The deluxe edition includes Hannon’s original piano demos from the stage adaptation of Swallows and Amazons.

Here is Hannon’s office memo announcing the album:

MEMO: All departments

To whom it may concern,

I told you I would make a double album one day!

Nobody believed me.
Jeff Lynne, eat your heart out…

It has synthesisers. And songs about synthesisers.
But don’t panic. It also has guitars, orchestras, accordions, and songs about love and greed.
Phew…

It is peopled with a shiny new cast of my imaginary friends (and enemies):

East Anglian lovers and historical re-enactors, Norman and Norma.
Sir Hillary Oldmoney, a complete banker if ever there was one.

The outrageously selfish ‘Opportunity’ Knox. He jumps queues, annoys party goers and
would kill for a promotion.
Christine, who makes excellent photocopies but whose office romance has gone south.

A pair of furniture removers and part-time minimalist composers named Philip and Steve.
Even a certain Billy Bird has squirrelled his way back into proceedings.

But the central characters in Office Politics are the machines.
Machines that do this, machines that do that. Machines that will smother us all in our sleep.

Perhaps the raging battle of instrumentation and musical genres on the album is a

subconscious reflection of this conflict.
Perhaps this increasingly crazy world has sent me scurrying to the new wave and synthpop of

my youth for comfort.
Perhaps I was just bored.

I’m sorry it’s all so crazy. I do try to make normal pop records.
But it always seems to wander off into odd territories when I’m not concentrating.

All I can say is…
I told you I would make a double album one day!!!

Signed: Neil Hannon, Head Of Communications

> Neil; you can call it a double album if you want (and it is double vinyl) but it all fits on one
CD, and I don’t think a double download is even a thing? Thanks, Production. <

Memo ???? The Divine Comedy Announce Their New Album ‘Office Politics’.
Pre-order OFFICE POLITICS at our online store for signed items, bundles galore & EXCLUSIVE presales access to the upcoming Tour! (UK dates only) ➡️https://t.co/2i429cnv4z#TheDivineComedy #OfficePolitics pic.twitter.com/KhjqxBZlE3

— The Divine Comedy (@divinecomedyhq) April 3, 2019

The Divine Comedy Tour Dates:

Sunday 6th October - DUBLIN Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Monday 7th October - BELFAST Ulster Hall
Tuesday 8th October - CORK Opera House
Thursday 10th October - GLASGOW Old Fruitmarket
Friday 11th October - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Saturday 12th October - OXFORD O2 Academy
Monday 14th October - BRISTOL O2 Academy
Tuesday 15th October - LEEDS Beckett University
Wednesday 16th October - BRIGHTON Dome
Thursday 17th October - LONDON Eventim Apollo
Friday 18th October - MANCHESTER Albert Hall

Read our 2017 The End interview with The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon.

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