In short, these two guys have no business making a record this good 40 years on. "The Tipping Point," Tears For Fears first new album in 18 years, is gorgeous.
I've been a fan since the very first singles. Then, the band exploded with "Songs From The Big Chair." But like XTC, I started to appreciate Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith a lot more as they matured, and my favorite TFF records are their last three, not their first three, though two of those three were Roland Orzabal projects, as he and Curt Smith were on hiatus from each other. Actually, it was "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending," their first reunion in 2004 that sealed the deal, a stunningly beautiful pop record that is desperate for a reissue and the one that remains my very favorite. But after a few spins, "The Tipping Point" is pushing into second place.
"The Tipping Point" has a vibe similar to that last record, and I will give all due credit to producers Charlton Pettus and Sacha Skarbek for not fixing what wasn't broken. The songs are smart and they do not pander, though you will be reminded every now and then, either with a chord change or a vocal flourish of the band's heyday.
For you vinyl fans, Side Two of "The Tipping Point" is absolutlely perfect.
This record is worth your time. Even if you don't consider yourself much of a fan of the band, I think you will find plenty to appreciate on "The Tipping Point."
11 comments:
I will check out the new record - this puts it back on my radar. As for 'Everybody Loves A Happy Ending,' you put the song "Secret World" on a weekend mix back in 2014 (iTunes tells me this) and it kinda blew my mind - my favorite song by them. I like 'later' Tears For Fears in general too - especially 'Break It Down Again' from 2010, which I think is just a brilliant pop song on every level.
Right On Sal!
I love it when "old guys" can still deliver.
They performed "Break the Man on Colbert last week, and they sounded fantastic. I love the way the verse is structured - just a sustained minor chord for the first line, which lifts into a single major chord for the second. https://youtu.be/rVHqaESW8Ug
The XTC comparison is valid, not that they sound similar but in the level of sophisticated song craft that sounds simple but is very much not.
Very happy to have them back, and am looking forward to seeing them in Atlanta this summer (with Garbage as the opener).
They made some good tunes that I liked, especially The Hurting. Looking forward to hearing this.
I'm obsessed with this record. I missed "Everyone Loves A Happy Ending". Now I really have to look into it.
Thanks for the heads up. I never would have explored latter day TFF. I pretty much got off he bus after Big Plans. This is a beautiful sounding album. Anxious to check out Everyone Loves as I am also a big fan of late period XTC. River of Orchids I think is a beautiful album.
Not my cup of tea, and they never were.
I'm reminded of the great lyric from The Bis-Quits "Tennessee Valley Girl."
"I bet you really miss those Reagan years/John Hughes movies and Tears for Fears"
Heh. :-)
Sal - I agree with you that Everyone Loves a Happy Ending is the best TFF album. From what I've heard so far, Tipping Point is very good with Break the Man my early favorite.
With such a long time between releases, I was getting a Chinese Democracy vibe about the Tipping Point. Thankfully that is not the case!
What about later period Squeeze? Do they fall into the category of gems in their later releases?
Ken49,
With the exception of "Domino," I don't think Squeeze has made a bad album. Some are greater than others, of course. But I listen to "Play" and "Some Fantastic Place," and their last two "Cradle To The Grave" and "The Knowledge" to some extent, as much as anything in their catalogue.
I was turned off by Shout from the early days, so never gravitated much to TFF, with the exception of Everybody Wants To Rule the World. The songs you posted here sound good and make me want to explore some more.
And I can second the latter-day Squeeze appreciation. Cradle to the Grave is much better than it had any right to be. I put the title track among their top songs.
Bill
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