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Jun 07, 2019 By Christopher Roberts The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy, the orchestral-pop project of Northern Irish singer/songwriter/composer Neil Hannon, has released a new album, Office Politics, today. Now that the album is out, you can stream the whole thing below. Also below are The Divine Comedy’s upcoming tour dates.

Previously Hannon shared its first single, “Queuejumper.” Then he shared a video for “Norman and Norma,” the album’s second single (the audio for which was shared last month). The song is about the challenges of keeping the marriage spark alive as you get older and the black & white video illustrated the lyrics while also featuring images of Hannon performing the song on the piano.

Hannon had this to say about “Norman and Norma” in a press release: “I remember getting out of bed one morning singing something like the chorus. It’s always scary when you write an opening line like - ‘Norman and Norma got married in Cromer, April 1983’ - and you realize you’re going to have tell their whole story. I tried to set up the thrill of early married life in the first verse, and the struggle of middle age and family in the second, but the third was hard.”

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.

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

The Divine Comedy UK Tour Dates:

In-stores:

8th June: In-store at HMV Manchester (Neil and Tosh Acoustic)
10th June: Assai Records Release Show At Inchyra Arts Club, Perth (Acoustic 4 piece, 45min set)
12th June: In-store at Tower Records, Dublin (Neil and Tosh Acoustic)

UK 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

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