Divorce - Drive to Goldenhammer

On their debut album, Divorce craft a richly textured journey through the backroads of British indie, where twangy guitars meet synthesizer swells and chamber pop arrangements bloom unexpectedly from alt-country seeds. 'Drive to Goldenhammer' is both carefully constructed and marvellously spontaneous; a trip planned with obsessive detail that still manages to find adventure at every turn.

The East Midlands quartet excel at building complex musical landscapes without losing their footing. 'Antarctica' arrives early, wearing its heart on its frost-bitten sleeve with harmonies that could've slipped off a Teenage Fanclub record. 'Fever Pitch' kicks down the door with a swagger that suggests these newcomers aren't afraid to bare their teeth, while 'Karen' - “dedicated to Karen Carpenter”, they explain in their recent Dork cover feature - demonstrates their willingness to venture into cleverly oddball territory.

The album's production, helmed by Catherine Marks, provides a perfect balance of polish and grit. Every layer, from the guitar work to the warm bed of synths that frequently cushion the vocals, enriches its surroundings. This is particularly evident on 'All My Freaks', which shifts from indie-rock standard-bearer into something far more dynamic.

The emotional range here is expansive throughout. 'Old Broken String' offers a necessary moment of reflection with its balladic pacing, while highlight 'Where Do You Go' showcases a more confrontational side of the band's personality. 'Jet Show' keeps the album's travel motif moving with its bouncy demeanour, though it's the way these songs speak to each other across the record that really shows Divorce's songwriting chops.

Like all the best road trips, this is an album that finds its magic in the spaces between destinations. Divorce have digested their record collections - from American alt-country to British indie-rock - and emerged with a map all their own. The journey to Goldenhammer proves consistently rewarding.