This isn’t just any amateur band releasing its first album. Divorce’s “Drive to Goldenhammer” showcases its unique sound effortlessly. As the group drives, listeners are taken to the made-up world of Goldenhammer — an imaginary place inspired by childhood rather than any geographical spot. The journey ushers listeners from upbeat rock to country twang, all the while showcasing theatrical vocals.

The British four-piece band — vocalist and bassist Tiger Cohen-Towell, vocalist Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, drummer Kasper Sandstrom and guitarist Adam Peter-Smith — first joined forces in the midst of the pandemic in 2021. They were all performing separately in Nottingham’s music scene and discovered that their funky guitar riffs and lively harmonies could come together to create a grunge-country crossover sound. Although “Drive to Goldhammer” is Divorce’s first album, the band has garnered a fanbase through the release of several singles — “Hangman” and “Gears” — and EPs since 2022. 

The opening track “Antarctica” begins with an upbeat backing track and the faint sound of laughs, which establishes the world of Goldenhammer as a playful, child-like environment. The hypnotic harmonies on this track feel nostalgic and familiar as they build in the chorus on top of a fiddle. The song seamlessly transitions into a fun rock tune with solemn vocals and emotional belting.

The song that unexpectedly embodies grunge more than any other song on the album is “Karen.” The first two minutes of the track have a quiet, eerie energy because of the haunting guitar riff and faint ringing in the background — listeners can sense something may be coming, but don’t know exactly what. Halfway through this track, for the first time on the album, Cohen-Towell shows off that they are not just a pretty singer — they can also scream their heart out alongside drums and guitar, relaying a sense of agony across the track. 

The vocals and lyrics are extremely impactful on “Drive to Goldenhammer” and allow the listener to experience a narrative, with each song embodying different characters. The pictures of utter freedom and playful love on “Parachuter” and “Hangman” prove to be the album’s sweetest highlights, taking a break from its alternative grunge sound. In “Parachuter” Cohen-Towell and Mackenzie-Barrow share vulnerable words: “Takes a lot to make a person / Half as strong as you deserve them / I will try to be that person / Every day I am alive.”

However, the song that can do both — go grunge while also sharing a sentimental story — is “Pill.” Cohen-Towell tells the story of a toxic relationship in a melancholic tone. The song starts with an unsettling electronic pulse and peaceful synth that take you out of this world, before lively percussion and subtle bass riffs fill the atmosphere. Two minutes into the track, vocals approach their peak in low-pitched, dominating harmonies. Peter-Smith’s guitar takes the lead with a brief, mesmerizing solo, and the song abruptly transitions to just piano. The track concludes with a slight pickup in energy as the vocalists sing, “I put too much weight on you / And you’re cracking underneath.”

Divorce has achieved the perfect balance of grunge sound and sentimentality with “Pill” and across its debut album. Getting to experience the fictitious world of Goldenhammer was worth the three-year-long wait. Divorce has mastered the art of making listeners want to both cry and bob their heads, all while maintaining a playfulness to its sound.

Contact Caia Cupulo at [email protected].