For those familiar with Spoon's Britt Daniel, Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs, New Bomb Turks' Sam Brown, and keyboardist Alex Fischel, Divine Fits will like the sum of its parts and little more. The band combines the grimy grooves of Boeckner and the clean compositions of Daniel with precision. No detail feels left to chance. The band's debut, A Thing Called Divine Fits, isn’t built on big, overwhelming moments, but rather on the small details that build up to something great. On “My Love is Real,” which sounds like a lost track from Handsome Furs' Face Control, Boeckner sings, “My love is real…until it stops.” Then, in the final chorus, he lets the music dropping out replace “stops” to great effect.
Daniel’s wounded opening lines on “Shivers” is the signiture moment on A Thing Called Divine Fits. “I’ve been contemplating suicide,” he starts, “but it really doesn’t suit my style. So I guess I’ll just act smart instead and contain the blood I woulda shed.” It’ll linger with listeners long after the song finishes.
At times, the album feels too restrained. “Would That Not Be Nice” and “The Salton Sea” feel too repetitous and too cut and dry. In these moments, it would be nice if Boeckner was allowed to let loose like he does in his own projects.
Overall, A Thing Called Divine Fits is a solid day at the office for these guys that will please fans of Daniel and Boeckner; however, as with most office work, it can be stiff and clinical at times.
A Thing Called Divine Fits will be released August 28 on Merge Records.
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