Divorce Finance release debut EP ‘Live from the Bunker’
Leeds quintet Divorce Finance have arrived with their debut EP, Live from the Bunker. A collection of five tracks that draws as much on psychobilly’s heyday as it does the mire of the modern world, this offering is snarling, thought-provoking, and hilarious. Here the band establishes their comprehensive blueprint, following the successes of last year’s David Grohl-slaughtering single, ‘Django’.
One of the most compelling releases of 2023 so far, the group – comprised of the unhinged figurehead Mr. Discipline, guitarists Dr. Fuck and Hugh Jass, bassist Kylie Monoxide and drummer Quick Lewinsky – are charging feet first into the future, whatever that may bring, and they’re taking a few familiar faces with them. This includes a particular adult actor by the name of Lisa Ann. Such is the world of Divorce Finance; they’re sculptors of socialist utopias and surreal dystopias. It is symptomatic of the postmodern melting pot we’re presently in.
Recorded in an ex-nuclear bunker in the depths of East Anglia, the band found the perfect environment to bring their anachronistic sounds to life. Of their new EP, Discipline says: “Live from the Bunker was the result of an experiment with the following ingredients: A songwriter who refuses to acknowledge what decade it is, a northern band on a beano in Norfolk; rabidly trying to escape the glare of Britain’s hottest heatwave ever, and an enigmatic genius residing in an old nuclear bunker full of vintage recording gear. All to a backdrop of world events that only serve to mirror and magnify the historical confusion of the whole affair”.
The record starts with the off-kilter vitriol of ‘Auto-Communist Dream Girl’. Boasting ringing guitars plucked straight from the 1980s underground, and a piercing main riff, the twisted essence of Mr. Discipline’s vocals adds another dimension to the filth. His voice is coloured by wobbling reverb and delay, which further drives his caustic lyrics home and substantiates his character.
“Wasted life/ For so long/ I won’t take no for an answer/ On my back/ There’s a bomb/ To bring equality faster”, Discipline descants towards the end of the track. “You’ll never bring us down/ With your sensibilities/ And social norms/ You’ll never bring us down/ …anymore”. In one part joke and another manifesto, it is sharp. Also, check how the guitar solo fuses automation with the sounds of the high plains; outstanding.
The second track, ‘The Loneliest Twink on the Ranch’, follows this biting style. In another rumbling piece, the lead guitar instantly propels itself into the prefrontal cortex before Discipline delivers another one of his warped commentaries.
The guitars here are more aggressive than on the opener, with Kylie Monoxide’s repetitive bassline and the other exhibits creating tongue-swallowing anxiety. Additionally, the surreal picture that Discipline paints of the eponymous Twink is another excellent presentation of the band’s anachronistic tendencies, whereby they fuse the past and present to create something vivid and unique. Discipline growls: “I’m the most famous no-one online / You know celebrities all work full time”.
The third track, ‘Director’s Cut’, is another blast, a carnivalesque piece, with a loose but punchy riff. This is followed by the slow ballad of ’10 Years with Lisa’, which details spending a decade alongside the famous pornstar. Musically, it’s heady and languid, and a pause for breath whilst Discipline asks us profound questions like, “Would Jesus feel crass if he liked Lisa’s ass?”. It’s superb.
Live from The Bunker concludes with ‘Bitchkrieg’, comprised of a four-to-the-floor beat and Monoxide’s best bassline on the record. A storm of noise ballasted by Discipline’s critique of life being a violent pain, it’s a fitting way to bring the curtain down on the bright green ooze that is Divorce Finance.
Next time the circus rolls into town, I’d buy a ticket.
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