Hurts - Happiness

3.0

0.0 (0)

Hurts have polarised the triplew.me team, and it seems most of the taste-maker press around the world. Electro-pop '80's throwbacks that deserve applauds, or frauds peddling good tunes with a constructed image?

First off, if you like Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys et al, then you don't need this review. Buy it, love it. Buy a cassette copy for your car (hopefully a Nissan Cedric), your house and your walkman. Bam!

Right, the '80's dwellers are gone. Hurts are a band that have polarised many, none less than your trusty triplew.me crew. Will Nixon was charged with a feature on the band, and through gritted teeth, gave the impression he was less than impressed. This writer however begs to differ, potentially at his doom against all indie hipsters that encircle him.

Hurts are a band that know how to write a massive, mutating, pop song. They haven't just nodded in the direction of the '80's. They've adopted them, found the flux capacitor and hurtled themselves back to the future. This is the enjoyable, secret shame, kind of pop that is bigger sounding than anything before it, and certainly has a lot more credibility than many pretenders. Bold claim, yes.

It's A Wonderful Life was the track to perplex the music press and indie crowd, and finally let it decide that Hurts were difficult to call. A Bros. for 2010 of sorts. Kylie Minogue even does a cameo/backing vocals on Devotion.

But this is an epic album in its construction - the production is amazing. Avatar for 80's retro in 2010. Blood, Tears & Gold, Sunday, Better Than Love (built especially for Ibitha remixes it seems) are all highlights. Get transported to everything the '80's stood for on Stay, the most overblown track I've ever heard that wasn't made for a charity. Theo Hutchcraft's vocals soar replete with the choral backing & muted trumpets.

All this said, Hurts have now won themselves a sub-meaning in the dictionary under derivative and the concept does get old, quickly. Radio will love this album, it might not stand the test of time, but does the iPod generation care? The dance-floors won't either.

LISTEN FOR YOURSELF - 'IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE' BY HURTS

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Audio provided courtesy Sony Music Entertainment.

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