Here we have one of the year’s most anticipated records. ‘Drive to Goldenhammer’ has been tipped as one to wait with bated breath for, and Divorce have totally pulled it out of the bag. 

First up, ‘Antarctica’, is a dreamy, shoegazy pop bop that expertly fits the roadtrip playlist narrative. It flits between the group’s two contrasting vocals in traditional Divorce fashion — utilising one of the cleverest tricks up their sleeve, and something I’ve enjoyed witnessing both times I’ve caught them live. As you eyeball the tracklist, you’ll spy two of the defining singles, ‘All My Freaks’ and ‘Hangman’, which whet the appetite for the full debut.

‘Lord’, the second song, expands on the opener and almost has some country sensibilities to its plucked strings. Again, complementing vocal and instrumental sounds come into play. And throughout, you’ll notice intermittently experimental and avant-garde styles — the quirky, jaunty ‘Fever Pitch’ evidences that. Already, this far in, I know they’ve grasped the easy-to-enjoy-on-repeat assignment, and there’s a flow to proceedings.

That said, they aren’t afraid to shake things up; ‘Karen’ goes from gentle, melancholic and almost nervous to angsty and enraged. You’ll detect a darkness that the more upbeat numbers just don’t have. Eager to hear more of their slower stuff? Skip now to ‘Old Broken String’ and then dart back into position for the blend of off-tempo riffs and drums on ‘Jet Show’, where the deeper vocals lead the charge, descending into another example of the dual-mic goodness.

‘Parachuter’ harbours a cutesy indie notion, and I quickly draw similarities between this and some of Bombay Bicycle Club’s softer tunes — Divorce are actually supporting them soon, aptly. And if that wasn’t enough of the Bombay Venn diagram, the modulated electronics that spark up ‘Pill’ give the song a different character to others. And it’s instantly very captivating. The silky vocals christen it with an angelic vibe, too, therefore, reminding me of that bygone 2010s indie era. 

As we get to the pointy end, there’s a cool, empowered feel to ‘Where Do You Go’. The piece presents as much rawer and has some mild aggression behind it, with distorted riff work you can’t pass up. And in final, romping reinforcement that Divorce are careering towards a cracking 2025, ‘Mercy’ ties the album together by harnessing that initial shoegazy charm. 

If you only download one track, let it be: ‘Pill’