all I need is a miracle

Hurts unveiled the artwork for "Exile", their forthcoming sophomore effort and the follow up to their debut, "Happiness". Theo and Adam still look smart. They're suited, once again. However, the sleeve seems a bit dark. And why do they insist on using such a large version of their logo? It's a bit overbearing and appears to be shoehorned into place. It needs balance against the title and image.

I had the same design issue with the last album. All of the singles were beautifully tailored works of art. But the album cover featured an awful photo and that oversized font. Bring me the head of that graphic designer!

Still, it's more about the music. The first, official single from "Exile" is "Miracle" which will hit the "shops" on March 10, a day before the album drops. A few weeks ago, Hurts debuted "The Road", another track from the elpee.



The bombast is there. The slightly goth shadings are present. Theo Hutchcraft's voice soars. It seems like they might have eschewed the electronics for a more stadium friendly, rock sound.

Thankfully, they didn't have a protracted absence from the musical landscape. Taking too long to follow up a successful debut is far too risky in the current climate. Strike while the iron is hot. As long as you bring the goods to the table. Bon appétit!

The following is tracklisting for "Exile". Nearly all the songs have very short titles. Only one or two words. Theo and Adam are men of few words.
1. Exile
2. Miracle
3. Sandman
4. Blind
5. Only You
6. The Road
7. Cupid
8. Mercy
9. The Crow
10. Somebody To Die For
11. The Rope
12. Help

exile on main street

One of my favorite albums of 2011 is the debut longplayer from Hurts. It's a brace of solid pop songs in the late 20th century style (ie. thoughtful lyrics, muscular production with electronic flourishes). Theo Hutchcraft delivers every track with a range of emotion and a strong, immediately identifiable vocal.

Very much in the tradition of British pop in the vein of Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, et al. Not confined to being a studio concoction, they managed to fit in quite a lot of touring in order to spread the Hurts mission statement.

And now, Hurts are ready to launch version 2.0 with the release of "Exile", their sophomore effort. "The Road", the first taste from the elpee, was just delivered to the interwebs. It's a moody, thundering, widescreen track which, perhaps, hints at a darker sound for the duo.



"Exile" will hit the "shops" in March.

light and love

In a surprise move, it appears Sony are going to release a FIFTH single from Hurts' debut longplayer, "Happiness". Is this 1985?

"Illuminated" is scheduled to be released as a double a-side with "Better Than Love" at the beginning of May. You might recall that "Better Than Love" was the first, official single from Theo and Adam.

Sadly, upon first release, "Better Than Love" could only manage a lacklustre placing on the UK singles chart at #50. Honestly, the mixes weren't terribly exciting. However, fresh from their blinding reswizzling of Hurts' "Wonderful Life", Freemasons are having a go at "Better Than Love" along with Death In Vegas and Burns.

Now, let's step it up a notch, lads. Issue that Paul Van Dyk remix of "Sunday" and you will have a blindingly good single on your hands. If not that, at least put together one of those deluxe editions of the album that the labels are so fond of throwing out to a disinterested public. I would actually purchase that one! Make it happen!

cinematic Sunday

It appears that Hurts are getting quite good at this music video malarkey. Theo and Adam just unveiled the clip for "Sunday", the fourth single from their debut longplayer, "Happiness".

Let's take a look, shall we?



Visual non-sequiturs ahoy! One half of the vid wants to be "Heart" by Pet Shop Boys. The other half wants to be "Tron". Still, it looks expensive without being a budget buster. It seems like they did quite a lot with the little they had to work with. Keep in mind, nobody gets four singles from and album plus a video to accompany each one. So, kudos to Hurts for squeezing every sheckle they could out of the label. All in the name of art!

And if my ears don't deceive me, I believe the single mix is slightly reswizzled for maximum enjoyment.

Speaking of mixes, the Seamus Haji post production is quite danceable and pleasing to the ear. However, it appears the Paul Van Dyk remix is still very much under wraps. According to those in the know, it is stonkingly good.

Let's not forget that Hurts lensed a clip for their Christmas single, as well, which brings their total of music videos to five. I'd say it's time for the deluxe edition of "Happiness" with a second disc of mixes and a bonus DVD featuring all their videos and, perhaps, a live concert.

on the seventh day

Theo and Adam are at it again. "Sunday", the fourth and presumably final single to be plucked from their debut longplayer, is scheduled to be released on Feburary 27. It will be available in three consumer friendly flavors.

The digital download configuration will feature remixes from Seamus Haji and Tom Flynn. The following is the full tracklisting. Only the Glam As You mix has surfaced on the interwebs thus far.

1. Sunday
2. Sunday (Seamus Haji Remix)
3. Sunday (Midland Remix)
4. Sunday (Tom Flynn Remix)
5. Sunday (Glam As You Radio Mix)

The CD single will include "Live Like Heroes", another non-album track. The 7" single will replace that track with the Seamus Haji remix.

I'm really pleased to see the label continuing to back Hurts' musical endeavors. Theo and Adam continue to tour behind their current album, "Happiness", and visit ever larger venues.

Even the cover art for each single has shown a level of style and sophistication that few acts are afforded these days. That leaves an even bigger question mark as to the reason for the album sleeve being such a design disaster. It smacks of a hamfisted, taste impaired label exec insisting it have a photo of the group on it and their name be emblazoned across the top in oversized type. That's what passes as "marketing" at labels these days.

everyday feels like Sunday

It appears out favorite moody duo of the moment are going to pluck another single from their debut longplayer! Hurts are rumored to be releasing "Sunday" as the follow up to "Stay" which crashed out in the UK singles chart at a lacklustre #50.

It's amazing that the label would choose to go four or even five singles deep from "Happiness". In ye olden days (ie. the 80s) it would have been expected.

So far, only the Glam As You remix of "Sunday" has appeared on the interwebs. It ups the tempo and makes it a more poppers o'clock affair with more than a passing resemblance to classic PSB.



My only criticism of "Happiness" is that it could have been served better by including a few more uptempo tracks. Perhaps the single version of "Sunday" will be reswizzled for radio play and popular consumption with a bit more thump in the bottom end. Ooh er, missus!

ten for 2010

As another year draws to a close, so many of us in the blogosphere must hunker down and review our faves raves from the previous twelve months. Getting stuck in the great Boxing Day blizzard was the best springboard from me to begin the simultaneously arduous and thrilling task of completing my list. Thankfully, 2010 turned out to be a banner year for music. One of the best on record if I recall correctly.

But first, a look forward. Which longplayers am I anticipating in 2011? Hue And Cry, The Human League, Duran Duran, The Feeling and Penguin Prison. I know Duran just released "All You Need To Know". But the iTunes configuration isn't the whole enchilada. The full twelve track experience will be issued in physical form in February. So, I'm gonna wait to review it. It's already one of my most played elpees of this year! Sure to be a top contender in the next.

And will someone PLEASE tell me where the new albums from Blondie and Sophie Ellis-Bextor have gone? Once imminent, they've slipped off the map. Can't bode well for either of them.

Without further faffing about, here are my ten favorite albums of the year listed in alphabetical order.

Marc Almond - "Varieté"

Taking on the dual roles of showman and troubadour for "Varieté", Marc Almond showed he could deliver his own, self-penned material with as much style, quality and panache as the covers he performs so exceptionally well. All of this during his rehabilitation from a near fatal motorcycle accident a few years ago.

From the Russian strains of "Najinsky Heart" to the gypsy peasantry of "Bread And Circus", the piano torch of "Lavender", the swinging 60s London glam of the title track, the entire longplayer hangs together thematically, lyrically and musically in a way that most artists can only dream of at any point in their career.

Even the limited edition version of the album is an embarrassment of riches for Mr. Almond as he presents another half dozen or so songs which are presented in a stripped back, smoking jacket, beat club production. Every track on "Varieté" is vintage Marc Almond, one of the UK's musical treasures.

The Divine Comedy - "Bang Goes The Neighborhood"

Neil Hannon, in the guise of The Divine Comedy, returned with a... bang! Natch.

Still waving the flag for intelligently crafted songs with nods toward classic British pop of the 60s and 70s, TDC returned in grand style. Neil still kept the orchestral flourishes in tact, but delivered "Bang" with a slightly more low-fi approach. From the Blur-like "At The Indie Disco" to the Continental flavor of "Neapolitan Girl", the album fits in perfectly with previous TDC masterworks without ever sounding like a retread. One word... Bravo!

Bryan Ferry - "Olympia"

Ten years on from Bryan Ferry's last longplayer of original material, "Olympia" had a lot to live up to. Sure, it has many of the trademark soundscapes he's been known for. There are the languid electronics, the dream guitars, the slurry delivery of someone intoxicated by love and other musings. All of it is present. But there's a rugged undercarriage to the songs which seems to

"Olympia" is champagne and gelato. A swirling mixture of style with a soupcon of danger lurking around the corner. A stunningly beautiful goddess flashing a sinister, knowing smile encouraging you to succumb to the layers of sound.

Mr. Ferry has lost none of his ability to seduce and beguile. May "Olympia" be the next of many nexts.

Goldfrapp - "Head First"

Zippy synths. Breathy, insistent vocals. Pulsing beats. Goldfrapp returned from the pastoral excursion of "Seventh Tree", itself a work of beauty, with "Head First", an album that should've scaled the dizzy heights of the charts.

Urgent and sexy. The opening synth triptych - the high octane "Rocket", the slightly ethereal "Believer", and the anthemic "Alive" - set up the album nicely. All nine tracks are dotted with some unusual, early 80s influences including "Xanadu" and Kim Carnes, as well as the obvious ones like OMD and Kraftwerk, without ever sounding retro.

But it's more than a dance album. There's a lot of deep emotion running through its synthy veins which gives "Head First" a lot of heart and plenty of warmth. Plus it has a penis on the front cover. Look closely. Trying to find it is part of the fun.

"Head First" never left my playlist all year. Let's keep the fire burning for Alison and Will in the hopes they come up with the goods on their next, full length, studio effort. Perhaps it won't follow too long after their forthcoming greatest hits collection which is scheduled to drop later this spring.

Hurts - "Happiness"

Grand, eloquent, elegiac and moody . Hurts live an a sophisticated pop universe. Equal parts Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys, yet sounding like nothing else in the charts.

Unfortunately, Theo and Adam haven't lit the world alight with their debut longplayer. But those of us that savor their kind of magnificent melancholy and well written, melodic vignettes know they have put a lot of work into making the album special.

The album became a bit of event, which continues the DM and PSB comparisons as it has become both bands' calling card everytime they release one of their always anticipated longplayers. My only (minor) complaint is that the elpee lacks in the uptempo tune department.

"Better Than Love" is a driving, gothic number with shades of early New Order and bits of Sisters Of Mercy woven throughout. And that's the extent of anything that pushes the BPMs into the upper reaches. Strangely, they ditched the brooding, captivating title track, a and relegated it to a bonus track status on very few digital portals.

Also, the singles could have benefited from a different release sequence. Instead of launching straight out of the box with the magnificent and moving "Wonderful Life", they chose "Better Than Love" which would have performed better had it followed the clearly defined hit.

Overall, the album is lovely. Don't wait too long to follow it up with something breathtakingly beautiful, lads.

Kylie Minogue - "Aphrodite"

Everyone's favorite, Aussie pop rocket delivered another sparkling album. This time, she gave her fans what they wanted - an elpee of full on, straight ahead pop.

It's an album that burst forth with the euphoric energy that her fans loved on "Fever" and wanted her to capture again after the spiky electronics of "X". Nearly every track has a hands in the air moment whether it's the gorgeous strains of "All The Lovers", the pulsing, singleworthy "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)", the lovely Keane written "Everything Is Beautiful" or the mighty drumline excitement of the title track. Singles for days.

Unfortunately, in this era of lowest common denominator, identi-kit R&B dominating the charts, Kylie's brand of top shelf pop seems a bit out of step. Therefore, third single, "Better Than Today", fell short of the top 30 even with all the promotional stops pulled out in full force.

It clearly underscores the damage a wrong single choice can trip up an otherwise flawless pop longplayer. Surely, the rumored deluxe edition is right around the corner as Kylie ramps up for her forthcoming world tour. I'll be there. Will you?

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - "History Of Modern"

It is the year of the synth. And who better to make their return than OMD? Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphries reunited the original four piece and decided to embrace their origins.

After testing the waters during a reunion tour for their 30th anniversary and a celebration of their seminal longplayer, "Architecture And Morality", Paul and Andy realized there was a lot of life left in the old mare. They dug out their synths, hashed out a dozen new songs or so and set about capturing the excitement of their debut recordings. At the same time, their return made it very clear where current faves like The xx owe their debt of gratitude.

The lyrical bite of distorted opener, "New Babies: New Toys" lays out their manifesto with a succinct "fuck off" delivered to the impostors and detractors. OMD are doing what feels best.

Anthemic first and second singles, "If You Want It" and "Sister Marie Says", respectively, show their affinity for a finely tuned pop song. They revisit every aspect of their recorded work without ever sounding like they are trading on past glories. The strength is in the clean production which supports the melodic strength of every tune on this magnificent return to glory.

All the orchestral samples and choral pads are in tact from throughout their esteemed career. The synths sparkle, the effusive melodies twinkling like a million stars until they burst into a shower of fireworks across the pristine production. Lovely.

Robyn - "Body Talk"

For nearly a year, Robyn has been a whirling dervish. A Swedish dynamo!

When she revealed her plan of releasing three albums in 2010, many scoffed at the idea. How could she come up with the goods three times?

Firstly, she kept each release in the "Body Talk" trilogy trimmed down to about eight tracks with the third installment featuring the best of the first two plus five new tracks.

It may have sounded unorthodox first, but in this new frontier of wireless trading of zeros and ones, it seems to have worked. It also helped that she promoted each effort with the vitality and excitement of an artist in her prime. She embraced every opportunity to get the word out and incorporated eye popping visuals into every part of the media mix.

Standout cuts, "Dancing On My Own", "Hang With Me" and "Indestructible" are a clutch of the finest, tear stained dancefloor epics this side of the Stockholm archipelago. But Robyn proves she has a sense of humor inside her arctic heart. "Fembot", the Snoop Dogg assisted "U Should Know Better" and the expletive ridden "Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do" are the jammy jams with a wink and smirk to let her fanbase know she can party smartly with the best of the current R&B set. And who doesn't love to initiate slut mode at least once a day?

Scissor Sisters - "Night Work"

Sleaze is the word! Jake Shears and co. whipped up a frenzy. "Night Work", their difficult third longplayer, is a deep n' greasy blowjob in an amyl nitrate filled backroom in a backstreet leather bar in Berlin.

The Trevor Horn via FGTH inspired "Invisible Light", complete with Bee Gees falsettos and thunderous percussion may have set the tone, but a few surprises like the anthemic "Fire With Fire" sounded more like The Killers. "Any Which Way" is incendiary funk with a sexy, slippery backbone and more typical of ver Scissters previous work. "Running Out" and "Night Life" sound like they bastard child of Devo and The Cult. All meant with love, of course.

"Night Work" is the sound of a group trying to break out of the corner they might have painted themselves into with their first two albums. Equal measures of frivolity and anxiety may have built them to survive or burnt them out completely. We'll know after their mammoth world tour wraps up this year. Catch them while you can!

Tracey Thorn - "Love And Its Opposite"

Tracey Thorn is one of Britain's most gifted songwriters. Every word that falls from her mouth seems to carry massive weight despite the simplicity and directness of her writing.

"Love And Its Opposite", the follow-up to 2007's more rhythmic driven "Out Of The Woods", explores mid-life in all its glory and disappointment. This is particularly apparent on poignant tracks like "Oh, The Divorces" and "Singles Bar" - two locations many are surprised to find themselves when they've crossed the great divide into the second half of their planned obsolescence.

On Twitter, Tracey has a spiky sense of wit delivered with a dash of self deprecation. Much of it is her keen attention to detail and the gift of acute observation cloaked in a laugh. And that's where much of the lyrical content of "Love And Its Opposite" resides. With every tweet, you can imagine Tracey in her kitchen chuckling to herself in deep, Mutley tones at some of her wry commentary which touches on everything from gardening to "X Factor". Essential twitteratum.

Hardly a folk album, Tracey's third solo elpee showcases her as one of Britain's quintessential singer/songwriters. Everything in the writing, arrangements and production is never pushed or rushed. Its quiet elegance, urgent beauty and balance shows Tracey at the height of her lyrical prowess. Stripped of the thump of the dancefloor, "Love And Its Opposite" is a more direct route to the head and the heart which allows for a greater impact on the listener.

Highlights include the haunting "Kentish Town", the yearning "Why Does The Wind?", the Squeeze-ly "Hormones" and the ethereal glory of "Swimming".

And that sums up my musical excursion through the previous 52 weeks. For those keeping track, you can find my ten favorite longplayers of 2009 and 2008 by clicking here. Bring on the sound of 2011!

snow and happiness

It's been a busy time around So Hip It Hurts HQ, kittens. With a new business launching this week and a possible podcast in development for next year, the days have been filled with a flurry of activity. But enough excuses. Let's get to the music!

I'm a little late with this, but Hurts have a video for their forthcoming Christmas single, "All I Want For Christmas Is New Year's Day".



Epic! My current Crimbo favorite. This year is shaping up to have the most amazing Christmas tunes on record.

Hurts continue to deliver some of the best pop music of the moment. Without being too retro, they sound fresh without ever going all electro. Always striking the perfect balance of melancholy and euphoria. Suave and sophistication for the masses. And they are singlehandedly bringing the waistcoat back into fashion.

If they could only break out of the lower region of the singles chart. A massive hit would surely put them over the top.

Christmas Hurts

I never thought of Hurts as the sort of lads that would embrace the festive season. Looks like Theo and Adam have delivered one of the most magnificent Christmas tune since "Last Christmas" by Wham!

I'm completely in love with it. "All I Want For Christmas Is New Year's Day" will be available from iTunes on December 14.



It's grand and glorious! Who doesn't love Christmas bells? Let the shopping begin!

Hurts stay stylish

Everyone's favorite, moody duo, Hurts, have unveiled the cover art for "Stay", the third single plucked from their debut longplayer, "Happiness".



I have a question. How come the artwork for their single sleeves are gorgeous yet the album cover looks like someone was practicing their newly acquired Photoshop skills?

Look for "Stay" to hit all fine "shops" on November 12 as a digital download and two CD singles.

If they wanna do it up right, they'll put all the mixes on the second CD while adding their sophisticated cover of Kylie Minogue's "Confide In Me" on the first one. They can pay me for that bit of genius when the single crashes out in the lower end of the UK top 40.

Theo, Adam and the sirens of the sea

Single number three, "Stay", is about the be unleashed by melodramatic, English duo, Hurts. The song is accompanied by a production of epic proportions. I believe they call it bombast.

What did Theo and Adam do on their summer hols? They lensed a video for "Stay" at the seaside with beautiful women draped in gauze linens. How sophisticated.



Those boys are so moody. Crack a smile, lads. By the look of things, I think they may have watched one too many Ultravox vids.

"Stay" is another massive sounding tune. Their debut longplayer, "Happiness", is full of them. I suggest you splash a little cash for a copy. Totally worth it.

many happy returns

A few weeks ago, Hurts covered "Confide In Me" by everyone's favorite Aussie pop rocket, Kylie Minogue. Now Lady K returns the favor by recording "Wonderful Life" for BBC Radio 1's "Live Lounge" .



Lovely! Make it a b-side, baby. And while we're at it, Hurts needs to throw their rendition of "Confide In Me" on the flip of their next single, "Stay". Make it so. Please send cash. I have a million ideas.

Kylie also performed a stripped down version of her current single, "Get Outta My Way", and that old chestnut "Can't Get You Out Of My Head".





She is so adorable. I just wanna bite her!

songs of faith and devotion

With a velvety glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo as accompaniment, I am weaving words about a beautiful rarity in the world of music. *sip*

Finally, the long awaited and much anticipated debut longplayer from Hurts has crash landed. "Happiness" stands out among the current crop of 2010 hopefuls for being the most melodic and sophisticated effort of the bunch. There's more meat on these bones.

The entire album, which debuted in the UK at #4 this week, is seamlessly held together by solid songwriting, epic and tasteful arrangements, lyric depth and Theo Hurts' (né Hutchcraft) solid vocal. Theo's performances are stridently confident yet they maintain a slight vulnerability which gives a more personal feel to the vocal delivery and sells the lyrical sentiments without ever coming off sounding cheap or cheesy.

Although it incorporates many sounds associated with the 80s, the album manages to be far more than a pastiche of synth tricks and production padding.

"Silver Lining" clearly takes its cues from Depeche Mode, a group which Adam Hurts (né Anderson) has cited as a major influence. Starting with classic throbbing synths and clanky chimes, reminiscent of "Black Celebration" era DM, the song builds into a epic chorus. Toward the end of the song, "silver" is chanted by a chorus of manly men against a backdrop of elegiac chords and faux mandolins until the entire arrangement creeps away into a chugging drum loop and ominous chord passages which reminds me of DM's "Stripped".

On a lighter note, second single, "Wonderful Life", which only managed to scrape to #21 in the UK singles chart, is a towering tune which still comes across like a slightly moody Johnny Hates Jazz. And that's not a bad thing at all. This song has a sonic sheen to it that the original mix didn't have. An absolute classic. Just give it some time.

However, to these ears, there is a funky edit around the 3.13 mark. Not sure if it's an artifact of the reverb or a mistake. Whatever the case, it is not in the original version that appeared toward the back end of 2009.

Lyrically, it's appears to be a song of hope to those in despair. The sound of it is equal party glorious beauty and mournful anxiety. Perfect pop! To further hit that point home, here's Hurts performing live in a basement somewhere in London.

The drummer is a monster! Nicely done, rhythm master. After watching that clip, it occurred to me for the first time that there's even a bit of Mk II era Ultravox floating around in Hurts' electro elegance.

Theo and Andy channel a number of fine purveyors of electronic pop throughout the course of the 12 tracks that make up "Happiness". Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark is a on "Blood, Tears And Gold", complete with angelic vocal samples and delicate synth lines while Pet Shop Boys are the clear influence on "Sunday". However, if you close your eyes, you could be forgiven by thinking you were listening to Killers.

Word just came down that "Stay" will be the third single to be plucked from "Happiness". What starts out a bit like Breathe - don't pretend you don't have "All That Jazz" somewhere in your CD collection - quickly turns into another gospel tinged epic with Depeche Mode-esque rhythmic, heartbeat leanings. It sounds massive with its booming, ominous, left hand piano and Theo's elegiac vocal. Very singleworthy, indeed.

The eerie intro to "Illuminated" hints at more DM sonic references and you begin to realize Hurts is more Basildon boys than that of the Pet Shop variety. Everything leading up to this point, including the "Actually" referencing cover art seemed to indicate a PSB connection. Oh, how wrong we were. And that's completely OK as Hurts deliver one of the most polished and emotive debut albums in quite some time.

"Evelyn" is a beautifully somber song which dates back to Theo's days in UK pop combo, Daggers, from the previous decade. It builds from a reflective ode with goth undertones into a full on widescreen number with tribal drums, cathedral vocals and primal yelps which, surprisingly, don't overpower Theo's earnest performance.

This leads nicely into debut single, "Better Than Love", an throbbing electronic dance track that sounds like The Mission meets Pet Shop Boys. The tag line following the chorus gives the listener another flash of OMD.

While I'm referencing several bands, at no time does Hurts come across as if they are aping someone else's sound from yesteryear. They pay homage to their influences in a clever way. Smatterings and subtle sonic construction as opposed to being a pastiche.

Theo looking very much like Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet at the start of that video.

The remainder of "Happiness" is more subdued - achingly beautiful with wonderfully longing vocals and choruses as big as houses. First up is "Devotion" which features vocal contributions from everyone's favorite Aussie pop rocket, Kylie Minogue. It places her more firmly in the territory she first laid claim to with her Nick Cave duet, "Where The Wild Roses Grow", as opposed the frothy dance confections with which she's currently associated. Smart move. She sounds simultaneously fragile and sexy. In fact, it even has shades of "Confide In Me" which Hurts recently covered.



"Unspoken" is another gorgeous, cinematic number which falls and climbs throughout. "The Water" drifts into George Michael territory. Swimming in reverb and very little electronics, it shows off another slice of Hurts' epic manifesto. It's one of many high water marks on an accomplished debut.

But wait... There's more. "Verona" is a "hidden" track which wouldn't feel out of place on a Marc Almond album. This short, anthemic song builds from a bare arrangement into a powerhouse of martial drums, mandolins and an operatic chorus of voices. A bit OTT, but its brevity holds it back from being ridiculous. Very lovely.

Interesting to note that the title track was given away through Amazon and really showcases the . It's a booming stomper with a killer chorus which rises and falls before launching into a goosestepping tag with a stern, staccato chant of "We don't need your cheap salvation. We don't need your sympathy." Powerful stuff. Make it your mission to seek it out.

All in all, "Happiness" is quite an achievement. A debut of skyscraper proportions with a beautifully executed - and painfully long - marketing campaign. What started out as enigmatic and curious has evolved into a stylish and solidly strong clutch of songs which should find a good home in many homes. One of the best elpees of 2010.

confidentially speaking

The promotional campaign for Hurts is gaining more steam by the day. Theo and Adam are pushing all the right buttons. Not only did they have the fabulous fortune and good taste to duet with Kylie Minogue on their forthcoming longplayer, "Happiness", they also recorded a cover of her seventh #2 single, "Confide In Me".



Srsly, gents. Get thee to a recording studio, ASAP! This will make a truly inspired b-side. More of this, plz. *swoon*

What started out as an enigma has grown into a full on pop extravaganza. Brooding, stylish, thoughtful and gloriously elegant.

If there's any justice in this world, "Wonderful Life" will go straight into the top 10 of the UK singles chart.

Hurts reswizzled

It feels like everyone has been holding their collective breath for "Happiness", the debut longplayer from Hurts. In the meantime, the interwebs have been buzzing about the new Freemasons mix of their latest single, "Wonderful Life". Finally, it has arrived!



That certainly improves upon the radio edit we posted a few days ago. It's a lovely companion to Arthur Baker's mixes that made the rounds earlier this year. Poppers o'clock, indeed! Expectations are certainly running high for the album.

And, as if we couldn't get enough of Kylie, it appears that she is featured on a track called "Devotion", one of many fine songs on "Happiness". I can't remember a time when Kylie has had a higher profile. She is omnipresent! She didn't even have this kind of visibility during the "Fever" era. Get her PR person on the phone stat! Kudos and champers are in order.

By the way, I have it on very good authority that Freemasons are remixing "I Want Your Sex", the song that launched George Michael's debut solo elpee, "Faith". Sony has finally dusted off the album and are about to issue a deluxe edition in September. I am without words.

What we need is some synchronized swimming.

Sweet jeezus. I step away from the interwebs for a couple of hours and Hurts splash the new video for "Wonderful Life" across the world wide web.



Beautifully shot. Decent budget. Suitably lush. Slightly bleak yet glamorous locale. Veiled models in slinky dresses. Pouty band members. It all has a bit of a Roxy Music vibe to it.

Clearly, the new mix of the single pushes all the right buttons and make "Wonderful Life" even more epic than it already was. It was nearly perfect in its original form. Amazing what some tribal drums and a few synth parts can do to a song.

And, if I'm not mistaken, Hurts are the 2010 equivalent of Johnny Hates Jazz. That is not a bad thing, kittens.

"Wonderful Life" will be available from all fine "shops" on August 23. However, the big fail here is the availability of the mixes by Arthur Baker, Freemasons and Mantronix. You'll only be able to get your Google dirty fingers on them as a digital download bundle.

Considering the target audience Theo and Adam are aiming for, a CD single with the mixes on it would have made the most sense.

everybody, Hurts

The covert art for "Happiness", the debut album from Hurts, was revealed today.



It's quite shit. N'est-ce pas? Merde, indeed.

It reminds me a lot of this, actually.



Which is one of the most amazing and iconic album sleeves EVER. Hurts' cover is nowhere nearly as good.

After delivering epic beauty, eye catching photography and lovely, understated design elements for the sleeves of their first two singles, who decided it was a good idea to give the task of designing the album art to someone who needed practice learning Photoshop?

I'm sure the poorly designed sleeve won't ruin the listening "experience". However, it does soil Hurts' reputation for painstakingly developing their image and design "style". Perhaps they've run over budget and decided slap any old rubbish together. Or maybe our expectations are set too high.

Thanks to XO's Middle Eight and Popjustice for alerting us to the "lovely" cover art.

The following is the tracklisting for "Happiness" which will hit the "shops" on September 6.

1. Silver Lining
2. Wonderful Life
3. Blood, Tears & Gold
4. Sunday
5. Stay
6. Illuminated
7. Evelyn
8. Better Than Love
9. Devotion
10. Unspoken
11. The Water

Freemasons have been brought in to reswizzle Hurts' forthcoming single, "Wonderful Life", for dancefloor consumption. Here's the radio edit.



AMAZEBALLS!

And here's the now classic mix by the legendary Arthur Baker.

on the edge of life

After "Better Than Love", Hurts' debut single, seemed to do a header off the side of a tall building, they are finally releasing the song we all thought should've been their entree into the shiny world of pop.

Speaking of jumping off buildings, check out the lovely sleeve artwork. It appears they've discovered the beauty of color photography!

"Wonderful Life" will be released on August 23. Apparently, it has been slightly reswizzled for popular consumption. Let's hope those Arthur Baker mixes are part of the CD format. Not much can be done with them since they've only been made available on a picture disc 12" single. Is this 1983? Enough with the picture discs! Kthx.

By the way, Freemasons have just submitted their storming take on "Wonderful Life". Quite an amazing set of mixes have been commissioned of this potential classic. Let's see how this shakes out in the charts.

Hurts' highly anticipated album, "Happiness", will hit "shops" on September 6. By "highly anticipated", I'm referring to myself and a few of my music obsessed friends.

so hip, it's Hurts

Hurts have been quite methodical in the planning of their debut. Each visual and musical expression has been carefully calculated. Whether that pays dividends is yet to be seen. However, the online chatter around the duo has reached a certain fever pitch.

The gentlemen outline their manifesto in the following EPK. They want music and all its visuals to be special. An aesthetic embraced wholeheartedly by Pet Shop Boys. Everything from their sound to their highly stylized, streamlined look recalls the sophisticated splendor of late 80s pop. Black, Johnny Hates Jazz, Love And Money and Hipsway quickly come to mind. Sonically, "Better Than Love" mines the vein tapped by Depeche Mode and the aforementioned PSB.

Even the video captures a mood that strikes a balance between the underground bunker feel of mid 20th century Cold War, Iron Curtain oppression and the elegance of a black tie and tails performance at the ballet. Throw in a touch of erotica and androgyny and you've got the template of many music vids from the 80s.



After the haunting beauty of their first online leak, "Wonderful Life", at the back end of last year and nearly impossible to find Arthur Baker mixes that followed, "Better Than Love" comes as quite a shock. Very unexpected. When it appeared that they were going to explore a more lush, bittersweet sound, in comes a thundering, electronic track with a booming vocal.



Even at this point, with the interwebs seemingly interwoven into every nook and cranny of everyone's lives, Hurts manage to keep their moves and identities shrouded in a haze of mystery. The veil only lifts for brief moments once you've gotten a glimpse of the story. Even their official website has little in the way of information about the duo. A simple black background with details neatly laid out with a clean, white, serif font. Not even a bio for reference is available.

Always leave them wanting more. It's counter intuitive in these wireless, social media riddled, Google dirty days. We need this. Let's see if their debut longplayer lives up to our expectations.

Did I shave my legs for this?

Thanks to the pop vigilance of Popjustice for alerting us to "Blood, Tears And Gold", another, achingly beautiful, new song from Hurts.



Still sticking with the gorgeous, moody, black and white visuals as part of their "campaign". Not sure what the shaving represents. Maybe it's their philosophy on life. Perhaps men should embrace their feminine side at times. Maybe it's a lesson. We must peel away the rough before we get to the smooth.

Whatever the message, it's clear they are a stylish lot. Very late 80s. They remind of the double breasted days of Johnny Hates Jazz, Black, Breathe and um... Halo James. I most certainly did mention Halo James! Dig it.

With only two songs floating around in cyberspace, the aforementioned "Blood, Tears And Gold" and previous track, "Wonderful Life", Hurts' forthcoming album is shaping up as an essential listen for 2010.

And thankfully, someone finally posted the AMAZING remix of "Wonderful Life" which was sliced and diced at the hands of 80s production wizard, Arthur Baker.



It has a bit of that electro club sound from New York that was so prevalent in the 80s. A dash of New Order, a pinch of Shannon and a just a whiff of freestyle. Boogie down.

Squeeze that album out ASAP, gents. We've been waiting patiently.