So epic it Hurts

Hurts are a duo from Manchester who I was undecided about; were they some bizarrely intelligent synth pop saviours (their debut sold over a million copies worldwide), or were they, in fact, an industry joke: two blokes with very good connections, who possibly have shares in Moss Bros, and a good eye for publicity stunts. So when a copy of their new album, Exile, dropped on my desk, I was intrigued to find out if it could shed any more light.

If you look at the album cover, and listen to the first few tracks it is clear that Hurts have only really one setting – “epic”. Every moment tries to out-epic the last, with phrases like “miracle”, “heart of gold” and “watch as the world burns” bandied around so much it comes at you like U2 sound-tracking that moment in the Lion King where Simba gets raised in the air on that big rock. Let’s just say that understated is not a word Hurts have heard of.

I am not saying that this is a bad thing; anthems have their place in today’s musical landscape. ‘Sandman’ is a track which works well with hints of Krautrock as well as a bit of R&B. Lead single ‘Miracle’ is probably the standout moment with more vigour than a whole pack of Alka-Seltzer. Among the few hits, however, are many more misses which come off on the wrong side of tired Euro-pop. This album provides ample evidence why Hurts enjoy massive support in continental Europe, but are perhaps less well received over here.

Six or seven songs into the album and the over the top nature of the album starts to grate and you start wishing that Hurts lived in a less grandiose and emotive bubble. I started to wish that they had been a bit more Berlin and a bit less Bulgaria because there are moments when the electro-shtick works. And then something strange happens, ‘The Crow’ comes on, bringing with a feeling that the album is sorely lacking – it doesn’t try too hard. True, it is the token slow ballad near the end, but at least it gives me time to take a breather from the epic rollercoaster that as so far made me feel a bit nauseous. I start to believe the lyrics more when they are not constantly backed by soaring synths and rammed into anthemic choruses.

So this album has not really solved the issue I had with Hurts, continuing in a similar vein to their debut. Do they really believe in the drama they are peddling? I am not convinced but I can congratulate them on actually getting this far because when they arrived I was sure that they would be a one-album-wonder type band. So kudos.