The titular opening song is prototypical Hannon, a brief and gentle orchestral opening launches into syncopated acoustic guitar, which vaguely suggest a western theme pulse, but Hannon's vocal longer vocal line is a smooth account of various long gone icons - from Steve McQueen to Laika, the first dog in space, to Oscar Wilde. The western motif continues with a hint of Jerome Moross' Big Country in the strings as the orchestra builds up steam. The grand gestures continue with Sticks & Stones and Joby Talbot's instrumental finale is a real treat, but the stand out for that comes round for Our Mutual Friend. A string figure drives the entire song, but Hannon adds layers of percussion as he relates, with typical sharpness and economy, an evening in which a couple introduced and then betrayed by a mutual friend. However, for the latter half, Talbot's glorious orchestration plays hymn like over the pulse; a truly great Divine Comedy epic.
Absent Friends is largely lacking in tracks that seem obvious candidates for radio play, but Come Home Billy Bird is a terrific piece of orchestral pop, with sweetly intoned Lauren Laverne vocals for the chorus a nice contrast to Hannon's mellifluous verses. Unlike most downbeat Divine Comedy songs, Leaving Today, Freedom Road and The Wreck of the Beautiful don't really perk up as they progress. However, Leaving Today is a lovely paean to a father leaving his daughter - undoubtedly a reference to Hannon's recent fatherhood (the album is dedicated to her) and being on the open road. That open road is the subject of Freedom Road, with just a hint of country and western, but the orchestra swelling gently to pull the listener back into Hannon's world. The Happy Goth and My Imaginary Friend are Hannon at his more light hearted; the latter the inner thoughts of an outwardly awkward teenager - "her face is whiter than the snows of Hoth" while the latter has a bouncing, comical arrangement, but enough wit in the lyrics and a good enough tune that, as ever, Hannon pulls it off.
Laika's Theme is perhaps the only real disappointment; an instrumental with a vaguely trippy arrangement of strings and spacey synths which is nicely atmospheric, but ultimately a bit aimless and not a patch on Theme from Casanova from the album of the same name, or the orchestral passages that end some of their longer efforts (In Pursuit of Happiness or The Certainty of Chance, for example). Still, it's brief and Charmed Life returns to Hannon at his best. After a simplistic and unpromising start, the orchestra comes in and some, unsurprisingly, charming lyrics to a grand finale. I must admit that given the choice, I would have swapped the first and last tracks as Absent Friends concludes with a resolute confidence that Charmed Life does not. Still, after the somewhat disappointing Regeneration, Absent Friends is, as they say, a real return to form. This, I would suggest, is Hannon reaching a mature plateau, not going overboard with overtly comical lyrics (although there is wit aplenty) and overly theatrical gestures musically. By and large a musical and lyrical delight from start to finish and Hannon's voice as suave and supple as ever. Great stuff.
Rating ~ 
Total Time ~ 45:51