Divine Fits

A Thing Called Divine Fits (Merge)

Deemed the latest indie rock supergroup, Divine Fits doesn’t so much meld talents as it accentuates individual tangents. Spoon frontman Britt Daniel and Handsome Furs/Wolf Parade hub Dan Boeckner along with New Bomb Turks drummer Sam Brown find natural affinity in their incessant studio tweaking – disruptions that constantly torque pop and rock melodies into unsettled excursions. Divine Fits is thus aptly named, Eighties-inflected and joyously refusing direction. Boeckner’s “My Love is Real” opens like a Handsome Furs B-side, while Daniel’s “Flaggin a Ride” plays like an alternate, Eno-less reality of Spoon, but “What Gets You Alone” and “The Salton Sea” begin diverting through intentional incongruities. “Baby Get Worse” fuses best in heavy skuzz rhythms ceding to a convincing pop chorus, and both “Civilian Stripes” and “Shivers” tone down to simpler melodies even as “For Your Heart” and “Like Ice Cream” revel in oblique turns. Divinely frustrating and equally compelling.

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This article appears in August 24 • 2012.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.