Tears for Fears: New Stuff

[The Culture Bunker]

So everyone's favourite 80s angst-pop superstars are back, 17 years after their last original material.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUp-ujO979U

There's also a piece in the Guardian today with Roland and Curt:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/oct/08/tears-for-fears-reunion-interview

Which has a dreadful headline but is a decent read. I'd read Orzabel's wife had died, but not the grim details of her final years. The new song isn't quite clicking with me yet - it's OK but a long way from their best, but I'm willing to give it a few listens to see if my opinion changes, and I'll be interested to hear the full album when it comes out in February (!).

I know we've had a TfF thread and discussed them in other threads before, but, well, now there's this too.

[sevendaughters]

structurally the song is ok, very TFF, maybe the production doesn't quite do it justice. as far as rediscovering the voice you established half a lifetime ago, it is a good job. I bet I'd like it live.

[Brundle-Fly]

The video/ song has actually made me fill up which is no bad feat for a first listen. I dig their look. Roland resembles a gold prospector from the Pioneer days and Curt looks like a suave boxing promotor.

[The Culture Bunker]

I have listened to the new song again tonight and found myself liking it more, so I may well be totally won over by Sunday night.

Curt Smith looks exactly the same as he did about 10/15/20 years ago, so I guess California life agrees with him, but it was a surprise to suddenly see Orzabel with white hair. Not sure if he was dyeing it for a while, or just recent stresses (understandably) sent him that way.

[Norton Canes]

It's alright. Bit Radio 2.

[Magnum Valentino]

Big Chair is one of my favourite albums ever and I love Roland and Curt both, class pair of lads. I say this as a fan, but does anyone else feel the use of the VERY distinctive drumbeat from Everybody Wants To Rule The World feels a wee bit desperate? For me it sort of instantly imposes a ceiling for the song - it can't be any better than 'good for a legacy act' because they've invoked and prioritised their own nostalgia. Seems like something a label would like.

That feels harsh but the song's not good enough that I feel bad about it.

[The Culture Bunker]

I don't really hear that - 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' has a shuffle beat going on which this new number doesn't. And I doubt any label they're signed to has any real great expectation for sales - at this point, they're surely only doing it for some kind of creative release as I'd be staggered if the album sells much more a couple of hundred thousand copies, if that.

[Neomod]

I like the intro, recognised the beat but SFTBC is my least favourite TFF album so not fussed.

I think Nick Heyward may be winning the 80's Dorian Gray prize just pipping Curt.

[purlieu]

The modern production was a touch jarring at the start, but it's a pretty strong TFF-sounding track, which is great after a run[nb]three albums in 30 years isn't really a run, is it?[/nb] of underwhelming, not very TFF-sounding albums. Definitely looking forward to the new one.

[The Culture Bunker]

I think Nick Heyward may be winning the 80's Dorian Gray prize just pipping Curt.

Think I'd go with Morten Harket on that front. And even speaking as a married man, on any front.

[Ascent]

Thanks for the link to the Guardian interview, really fascinating. I had no idea Alan Griffiths had died as well, I've got a lot of time for the albums Roland did with him, particularly Elemental.

[Ascent]

New album is out today. Just had a listen and really enjoyed it, quite a bit more than I was expecting to. I never really got on with Everybody Loves A Happy Ending for some reason, but I got into this one a lot even after just a couple of listens.

Initial highlights: No Small Thing, The Tipping Point, Break The Man, Rivers Of Mercy and Please Be Happy - the last two in particular I found very moving.

[The Culture Bunker]

Downloaded it from Bandcamp and had a listen during a walk out - liked it a lot and think I'll like it a lot more in a week after a few listens.

[Neomod]

Tears for Fears are on Bandcamp??

[The Culture Bunker]

Indeed - you can pick up this album and the first three (ie the ones from before Curt Smith left) there. I'm not up on such things - is there something odd about that?

[purlieu]

Up until about five years ago, Bandcamp was still a 'small DIY musician' site, but it's become a haven for pretty much every independent label in the meantime, and it can still seem a little bit jarring.

Midway through my first listen at the minute, generally pretty impressed. Not completely taken by the acoustic opener, but otherwise it's all very classic TFF with a modern twist, which is basically what I want from it. 'Rivers of Mercy' and ' Please be Happy' are definitely doing it for me.

[jamiefairlie]

Have they ever revisited their early style I.e. The Hurting era? I love that album but don't like the rest of their output after that.

[purlieu]

There are a couple of tracks on this which aren't a million miles away from the synthpop melancholia of The Hurting, but on the whole it's still a much bigger, poppier record really. If anything, the new one is the only TFF that looks backwards at all. Each album of their sounds pretty different to the others.

[daf]

Oops - meant to post that in the TOTP thread!

(just telling Geldof to F-Off)

[The Culture Bunker]

There are a couple of tracks on this which aren't a million miles away from the synthpop melancholia of The Hurting, but on the whole it's still a much bigger, poppier record really. If anything, the new one is the only TFF that looks backwards at all. Each album of their sounds pretty different to the others.

I can see what you mean - but lyrically, it's obviously a different tone. 'The Hurting' is about how much growing up is pretty shit, abusive parenting and feeling that world is out of control. This one has more themes of loss (given Orzabel losing his wife, not a surprise) and being a lot older in an absurd world that at best you can accept (less 'why?', more 'this is how it is, deal with it'). It probably helps tastes come back round to that synthpop vibe. But that's a first impression - I may well feel different in a week!

It's interesting that a lot of the songs were co-written with the same guy who worked with them on the last one - nearly 18 years ago. Not sure if that means if the songs are really old, or they maintained the relationship.

[purlieu]

All material was written over the past few years - there's a revealing interview about the creation of the album on SuperDeluxeEdition.

[rue the polywhirl]

New album is really decent. Much better than Everyone Loves A Crappy Ending. Break The Man initially I thought was guff because of the dance-poppy production but has really grown on me is on account of being super-catchy. Rivers Of Mercy is also super-affecting. The Tipping Point single is also really strong.

[Kankurette]

I'm loving Roland's Gandalf look. It's good to have them back.

Have they ever revisited their early style I.e. The Hurting era? I love that album but don't like the rest of their output after that.

The Hurting is my favourite Tears for Fears album and tbh, the only one I really like.

[The Culture Bunker]

'The Hurting' is a bit much for me these days. I loved it when I was 17, 18 - the age where that kind of stuff can seem a bit profound. Of all their albums, I'm most likely to revisit 'Songs From the Big Chair' though I may be in a minority in thinking 'Everybody Loves a Happy Ending' was really good. Shame it didn't do much, though perhaps such a guitar-heavy sound isn't what people want from Tears for Fears.

'The Seeds of Love' was mainly pap, bar 'Sowing...', which is great and perhaps foreshadowed the whole Beatles-tinged retro bandwagon that loads of others jumped on in the mid 90s.

[purlieu]

I like half of The Seeds of Love - basically the four singles - but the other half is fairly generic OTT 1989 pop-rock or fucking 'Badman's Song'. Interesting to read in the boxset booklet that Curt pretty much agrees.

though perhaps such a guitar-heavy sound isn't what people want from Tears for Fears.

Quite possibly, which would also explain why Raoul and the Kings of Spain was no great hit either.

[The Culture Bunker]

I love 'Sowing the Seeds of Love' and 'Famous Last Words' is a pretty great album closer - always a favourite in the 'facing nuclear holocaust' sub-genre.

Need to listen to the new album again as there's a guitar part in one of the songs that reminded me of the end of 'Woman in Chains'.

[Golden E. Pump]

I think this album may grow to be my favourite TFF record. Sure, the singles are nowhere near as strong as the cuts from The Hurting, Songs From the Big Chair or The Seeds of Love but thematically, it may be their most consistent listen. I'm going to have to play it a few more times but it's a genuine early AOTY contender for me so far.

[purlieu]

Need to listen to the new album again as there's a guitar part in one of the songs that reminded me of the end of 'Woman in Chains'.

Hah yes, I spotted that this afternoon, the same arpeggio pattern.

[The Culture Bunker]

Hah yes, I spotted that this afternoon, the same arpeggio pattern.

In 'Rivers of Mercy', having just listened back.

Curt Smith is in very fine voice throughout this album.

[David Pielingtonburygrot]

Until i read the song title, I thought that the lyrics for "My Demons" were "cos my penis/don't get out that much". Thought it was a song about incels.

I love TFF so much, i wish i understood the enthusiasm for this album, but it feels like their weakest to me. Only "No Small Thing" feels like them somewhere near their top gear. Everybody Loves a Happy Ending didn't get a great reception, but there are a bunch of tracks better than anything on Tipping Point - the title song, Closest Thing to Heaven, Who Killed Tangerine, Secret World.

Maybe it will grow, hopefully before their Shepard's Bush gig.