Heady Metal will have you drowning in melancholy.

You know a song has properly got under your skin when the most idiosyncratic lyrics begin popping up at the most inopportune moments. I had this misfortune with one of the highlights from Divorce’s new EP, whilst buried in the depths of an argument with my network provider. I have learnt that unwillingly whispering the words ‘well done moneybags’, with a far greater dose of sinisterism than intended, is a pretty poor way to approach a renegotiation of your phone tariff.

Vodafone ban to one side, this permeability says a great deal about the strength and depth of ‘Heady Metal’, the new EP from four piece Divorce. Formed from the splinters of various other groups in Nottingham in 2021, they were quickly picked up by Hand in Hive, with a debut show supporting TV Priest at The Shacklewell Arms to boot. The following two years have seen the group zero in on their unique blend of country, grunge, and sprinkles from countless other genres, with ‘Heady Metal’ offering the most polished and succinct version of this vision to date. 

Opener ‘Sex & The Millenium Bridge’ gets things off to a patient start, dripping in the melancholy that accompanies most attempts at self-betterment. As with every song on the EP, you are initially enamored by the powerful vocal duo of Tiger Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, sat atop full and aching instrumentation. As you spend more time with the song, certain lyrics begin to scuttle up above the parapet and grab you with the desperation of a overwhelmed walk home at four in the morning. 

It’s this propensity for attention-demanding lyricism that gives Divorce their appeal. Lead single ‘Birds’, with its insisting praise for Jackie and Old Man Moneybags, packs enough dramatic depth to fill a six-part ITV drama, with enough spare for an arresting director's cut. Closer ‘Heaven Is A Long Way’ breezes through its five minute runtime with enough sweetness and musical evolution to keep you effortlessly hooked. These are songs which manage to both grab you in an instant, and offer richer depths that reveal themselves with each listen.

This is most evident with the highlight of the record ‘Eat My Words’. It has all the bones of a stone cold classic; a straightforward yet sweet musical base, lyrics that don’t wait around, and a chorus that could run for miles. Such songs sound so simple on the surface, but are so very hard to get right. Divorce manages this with admirable aplomb and enough deft skill to make you yearn for the next classic that you’re confident is just round the corner. With songs as strong as this, I can live with the consequence of the ‘Do Not Serve’ posters adorned with my ugly mug in every mainland Vodafone outlet. 

2024 brings support slots for both The Vaccines and Everything Everything, and it won’t be long at all before we see Divorce discussed in the same breath as these stalwarts.