Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Happiness Never Hurts
I don't claim to be a know-it-all when it comes to obscure music and bands that no one has ever heard of, so when I caught sight of this new duo called Hurts from the UK whilst doing the television cowabunga one fine evening, I didn't really give them a second thought.
Well it would seem that it would not be the last I'd hear of Hurts. I got a copy of their debut album "Happiness" from Sony Music Malaysia and after a few spins in my crappy car CD player, "Happiness" by Hurts seems to give me some feel-good times with a little serving of deep melancholy on the side.
Immediately judging a CD by it's cover, "Happiness" certainly looks a little retro and foreboding with Hurts frontman Theo Hutchcraft (what a sexy name) sitting all dapper in a suit with his slicked back hair and an ear piercing, while his synth partner Adam Anderson glares at us in his rolled-up-sleeves and suspenders. If you think it looks like a mug-shot, you're not alone.
The whole album art is done in a monochrome fashion with no colour other than black and white. Lyrics are provided in the album sleeve, which is becoming a rarity these days. But the initial feel you get is that it's either going to be terribly depressing or insanely boring.
"The Stare" only works on some. Attempt only with adult supervision.
Personally, I am thankful that "Happiness" does not turn out terrible nor insane.
Hurts falls under the synthpop genre which sounds very much like all music that came out of that terrible time we call the '80s. Most of the tracks might sound a little dated when you listen to them randomly, but this is an album that slowly grows on you. Most of the tracks have, but some are taking a little longer to gain my acceptance into my loving arms.
Or this could also be a Giorgio Armani ad.
Hutchcraft's voice is the perfect glue to bind all the songs in the album together. It's rich, smooth, dripping with butter in some tracks (like "Blood, Tears & Gold") and can go from a high balladeer's warble to a slightly deeper tone that makes the song feel like it's going to be an epic journey. Try the full-0f-synth-juice first single "Better Than Love" and you'll see what I mean. It sounds like an 80's dance track, but the chorus is pretty haunting.
If there is an opportunity to insert a choir and full-blown orchestra into a track, Hurts will grab it by the throat and milk it for all it's worth! That combination brings an exciting feeling of grandeur to the album and coupled with their pretty intense lyrics, it makes for some pretty good tracks like "Stay" and "Unspoken".
My favourite track from the album is the first track "Silver Lining" and it's the perfect song to kick off the album. There's a slight funeral-march feel at the beginning, but it quickly dies off to a mesmerising piano beat and you're rewarded with a taste of Theo Hutchcraft's hypnotic voice as the song picks up and rolls you into a big haunting chorus. It dies down as soon as it picked you up by surprise, and I think that's what I like about this song. There's so many different layers to it.
Another morsel of delight in this album is "Devotion" which features Kylie Minogue! The song sounds rather concert-anthem-ish (the kind where everyone will throw their hands, lighters and girlfriends up in the air and sing along) and Kylie's voice adds just the right bit of drama to a stirring ballad.
"Happiness" by Hurts is not an album for everyone. It took me a few cracks at it before I finally discovered what I liked enough about it. There is a lot of attention to detail in all the songs - from the lyrics to the well-timed up's and down's of the volume in each track. You may feel a little mellow after you've gone through a session of "Happiness", but I suppose that's what the word meant to Hurts.
P.S. If the thought of Rick Astley suddenly jumps out at you as you listen to this album, you have nothing to feel guilty about.
P.P.S. If you need more details on where to find Hurts' album, check out Sony Music Malaysia on Facebook or Twitter.
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