The Divorce "The Gifted Program" (Made in Mexico)
By
Thursday. Sep 01, 2:26 AM
The album The Killers could have made.

Singalong choruses? Check. Head-bopping guitar riffs? Check. Tender yet rocking breakdowns? Check.

The sophomore effort from The Divorce, a Seattle-based rock quartet, is everything we've been missing in this year of post-punk snarlers and New New Wave crybabies. Shane Berry's vocals take the best from what's come before, combining a plaintive wail that circa-'90s Robert Smith would be jealous of and a light-hearted direct delivery that Alex Kapranos perfected on the last Franz Ferdinand tour. Berry's spiky guitar jams duel it out with Garrett Lunceford's shredding guitar squeals ("Cash Machine"), combined deftly with danceable rhythms from Kyle Risan's drumkit and Jimmy Curran's bass ("Deny! Deny! Deny!"). All this results in something that sounds familiar, but not derivative: a triumph in this time of mainstream indie cookie cutter bands glutting the radio waves.

Granted, there are a few heartfelt pseudo-ballads that probably work better live ("Doctors and Friends") with a fist-pumping crowd and a plethora of lighters, but for the most part, The Divorce keep it together ("Yes!"). The Gifted Program is just familiar enough to get you singing along on the first listen, and catchy enough to make you listen again and again.
www.thedivorce.net
www.madeinmexicorecords.com

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