There is a coziness to Divorce’s debut album – an intimacy akin to being in the backseat on a roadtrip with a group of friends as you regale and involve each other with stories from your lives. Every element of the record serves the creation of this comfiness, from the touches of country and folk sprinkled throughout, the production fresh from a studio on a remote Yorkshire farm, and at the core of it all, the unmistakable closeness between songwriting duo Tiger Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow.
Cohen-Towell and Mackenzie-Barrow have been writing music together since they were teenagers, and it shows in the subtle ways they complement one another across Drive to Goldenhammer’s runtime. Immediately, on the opener 'Antarctica', their voices dance around each other, before converging in harmonies as a country-style violin further affirms the homeliness. It is fitting that this song recounts a shared experience between the two, a drive to Mackenzie-Barrow’s dad’s house in which the pair saved a calf at the side of the road.
It is these small yet significant moments between the two that provide the basis for the whole album. Together, Tiger and Felix invite you into their lives, navigating their respective personal journeys that its title implies. 'Lord', for instance, tracks Tiger’s story of accepting queer romance amongst a backdrop of guilt. “Lord, I’m letting go”, screams its euphoric chorus. The moody waltz 'Fever Pitch' deals with said guilt’s resurgence, whilst 'Karen' uses its titular character to explore their shared insecurities about becoming washed up in the music scene.
On the other side of this coin, and kicking off the album’s record’s best run, is lead single 'All My Freaks', a naively optimistic tune about making their way through the music industry. The bright, Naked and Famous-esque synths provided by Adam Peter-Smith particularly accentuate the track’s positivity. 'Hangman' once again shifts the album’s tone, its resentment and frustration blazing over the intricately picked guitar line that holds it together. Mackenzie-Barrow has stated that this song was written during his time as a social care worker, articulating his exhaustion at the sector being systemically overlooked and under-supported. “The world of social care is hidden in a society that likes to pretend it doesn't exist, but it is vital and deserves much more focus and investment than it currently receives”, he stated, and his views are effectively delivered by the inherent tension that makes the track captivating.
Drive to Goldenhammer’s most important moment, however, is the multi-part 'Pill'. Another exploration of queerness, the song begins with futuristic synths and robotic, one-note vocals, signifying Tiger’s struggle to come to terms with themself. Eventually, though, this deliberately stilted beginning gives way to an incredibly warm second half, presumably representing the movement towards joy in self-acceptance. If the album has one central triumph, then it is this song. With its unconventional structure and changes in instrumental palate, it guides the listener through the complex emotional journey at its core with incredible grace and poise.
Though the album does trail off somewhat through the slow and spacey 'Old Broken String' and 'Where Do You Go’s plodding moodiness, closing track 'Mercy' provides an aptly heartwarming conclusion. On a record that’s success hinges on a songwriting duo coming together, bound by inimitable friendship, it is fitting that the final words you hear as it fades out are: “I’ll always love you like that”. This closing line is perhaps the thesis for the album overall: no matter what tribulations each of us goes through, everything is surmountable with the support of our loved ones. Divorce’s breakout success is, fittingly, testament to this, and their best flourishes come through when this message takes centre stage.
Score: 7/10
Drive to Goldenhammer will be released on March 7th 2025 via Gravity and Capital Records.
Words: Ali Glen
Photo: Flower Up and Rosie Sco
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