Tears For Fears, Everybody Loves A Happy Ending is their first album since the 1980's. And it shows. It's as if the last fourteen years have never happened. Because, basically, the album could have been lifted out of a 1989 radio studio.
That's not good.
With the exception of the title track, Call Me Mellow and Who Killed Tangerine, which are all excellent songs and manage to elevate the album to credit, the album is full of excedingly well produced pop saccharine. The longer it goes, the sappier it gets.
Mojo
Hot on the heels of Gary Jules' evocative Number 1 version of Mad World comes a new offering from the original Tears For Fears duo, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Their last album together, 1989's The Seeds Of Love, was filled with overwrought stadium pop that won over mainstream America, but lost them a critical edge. This one has lingering 80's elements, with some pompous lyrics, laborious arrangements and long drawn-out vowel sounds, yet it is also fresher and less strenuous than before. There's none of the electro-dance roots that first made them compelling, alas, but we do have jet-propelled harmonies and warm Memphis-styled horns on tracks like Call Me Mellow and Secret World. Despite a little Beatles Revolver-era pastiche, an intense soulfulness comes through.
AGB Rating - Credit
I got into them a few years back- bought "Songs from the big chair" which includes "Shout", "Mothers Talk" and "Everybody wants to rule the world". Great Anthemic sounds, i can see why they were pretty big in the 80's. Does their new stuff sound much like that ?
Apparently they initially fell out over their respective roles in the band and Olazabal carried on as "Tears for fears" and wrote a new album with a couple of songs slating Smith- he disappeared to the States. I read a recent interview with them and there appeared to be an underlying feeling of intense animosity between them bubbling underneath the surface. I wonder if money is the reason they reformed ?
Posted by: Brett Pee | 28 January 2005 at 04:38