Album Review: Hurts - Exile

Hurts
Exile
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

English synthpop duo Hurts' first record Happiness really did nothing for me; a very slick and glossy record that seemed stilted and arch when it should have soared. I had no great expectations that their second record Exile would be any different. And for the most part, it is not so much different from its predecessor, however, there is more life and edge to these tracks that give their sound some much needed oomph. The production values are still pristine but the band allows room for things to get a little messier, adding a slight industrial feel to several tracks. One thing that struck me most about the record is how it sounds like vintage Depeche Mode (or I should clarify it to mean Depeche Mode with Alan Wilder in attendance) with a nice mix of dance tracks and moody ballads. In fact, I have gone on to say that Exile is the best Depeche Mode record in years. It is more apparent after listening to the new Depeche Mode album Delta Machine, which still finds Depeche Mode in stasis.

Opening track "Exile" announces pretty loudly that this is not the Hurts of old. A chugging bassline and synth squiggles rise to meet Theo Hutchcraft's elegant croon as it all builds into a furious mix of keyboards, thunderous drums, and glistening guitars. The track leaps out like a long lost track from Songs of Faith and Devotion.



This harder edge to their sound fits them well, from the grinding thump of "Cupid,"



the dubstep inflected whirl of "Mercy,"



hooky synthpop of "Only You" to the technicolor palate of "Miracle" which comes out stadium ready with a killer build and dramatic chorus.



According to the band, Exile was inspired by the Cormac McCarthy book The Road, which explains the much darker tone to the music and lyrics. There is relatively little levity here, which can make for a somber listen, but the band is very good at keeping the melodies catchy and throwing in some killer choruses, especially on the many ballads. The best track on the record "The Crow" reflects this; a slow building, dramatic song that builds and builds to its haunting climax.



The other ballads come in a mixed bag. The better ones like "Somebody To Die For"



fully embrace their slight heavy handedness knocking the tracks out of the park with amazing choruses, while others, like "The Rope" meander a little too much and don't really have much impact.



Exile is far from being a perfect record. Hurts' songwriting suffers from being a little too direct and mawkish at times and musically they have not really found and defined their signature sound. They fall back too many times on their influences: Depeche Mode here, Muse there, and a little M83 for good measure. Aside from these complaints, however, Exile is pretty solid pop record that keeps your attention, and is certainly more interesting and entertaining than the latest Depeche Mode album.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.