Darren Hayes - The Tension And The Spark
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Free Music Notes for The Tension And The Spark
Free Music Review: Darren Does Electronica!!! A+
Hit: 5 Stars
Executives at Sony records must be insane. This CD has been out overseas for about 6 months now & has returned Darren to the top of the European charts with 2 hit singles & counting. The first single, "Pop!ular" has just hit #1 on the American dance charts, with no help from his American label- & yet they STILL have no plans on releasing the album here in the states. What a shame, since this is the best work Darren has ever done- with or without Savage Garden. Rumor has it that Sony feels the album is too "raw," too big a departure from Savage Garden, and American listeners must be protected from anything this shocking!
Darren has found his true direction on this album. With the help of producers Robert Conley & Mark "Spike" Stent (who has worked with Bjork, Depeche Mode, Madonna, etc.), Darren has created an album of dark, edgy electronica with addictive melodies & intensley personal lyrics that listeners can still connect to. There are plenty of tear-jerking ballads here, as well as some Depeche Mode-like dance tunes. Darren Hayes has finally found his groove on this album & I hope he will stick with it. He's never really sounded "savage" until now.
Free Music Review: AMAZING BEYOND AMAZING.
Hit: 5 Stars
Being a huge fan of Darren Hayes, I was particularly curious about his new CD. So, I got it. I'd heard some of the songs, read all the lyrics. But nothing prepared me for what was in store for me. Put all your expectations behind you, folks. This CD will blow them all away. The first time I listened to it, I admit I wasn't that impressed with it. The vocals don't seem as impressive as they could have been. You can't get the point of the CD with one listening. As you keep spinning the CD, the haunting and gorgeous words begin to make more sense. The CD's a mixture of everything you could imagine. There's some dark, "chills down your spine" songs like "Darkness," "Dublin Sky," and "Sense of Humor" that you can't help but relate to. Then there's songs that are almost tragic they're so powerful, mainly the song "Unloveable," and come on people ... just LISTEN to the vocals in this song, and you can't help but to feel the pain. The whole CD's not completely sad though, Hayes hasn't forgotten how to have a bit of fun, songs like "Pop!ular" and "Love and Attraction" have a nice jumpy beat to them.
Bottom line? If you don't listen to this CD at LEAST 50 times, you're crazy. The end.
Free Music Review: Intelligent; Honest; Modest; almost perfect intellectual pop!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is one of the best albums I have ever heard!
It takes a lot for me to say that - and I wasn't a big Savage Garden fan, and didn't listen the SPIN album (one before this) until after I was blown away by this one.
This CD rocks - it will tickle your every mood - its in turns cheeky, irritating, ironic, sarcastic, energising, uplifting, sombre, (I could go on forever)...
Best comparisons would have to be (probably helped by similar producers/mixers etc): Ray Of Light (Madonna); and most Bjork.
You have to get this CD - honestly. Hearing Pop!ular or Darkness isn't enough; you need Unloveable, you need Void; you need I Like The Way. There are so many stellar songs on this CD that I could write pages, but I'll leave it up to you - hear it and tell me I'm wrong - I can almost guarantee you'll love it.
In the title I said "Almost perfect intellectual pop" - I leave Darren some room to grow; and accept that there is some small and easily ignored flaws on this CD (namely length, he could have included the three single bonus tracks and "Boy" Oz bonus track); they slide perfectly on the end.
A sadly over-looked jem. Buy it today!
Free Music Review: Darren Redeems Himself With This Suprisingly Deep Album
Hit: 5 Stars
I loved Savage Garden and after hearing Darren's last solo album and not really liking what I heard I decided to give Darren another chance...and boy am I glad I did. This album is full of intuitive, insightful, deep, honest, and personal lyrics and great beats. Many of the songs are quite bitter and edgy, but that's exactly my kind of music. Ever since Alanis went all happy on me there's been something missing in my life...not anymore, lol. The album does vary and there are a couple ballads of course. I don't care much for the first single "Popular", but that's oddly the only song I don't care for. Some songs seem like they were ripped directly from my brain, like the songs "Love And Attraction" and "Void". I must also say that Darren is both sounding and looking his very best right now. Keep up the good work! This CD is worth its weight in gold and is in regular rotation in my player.
It's a shame that this album was a limited release; It was never released in the US, but is well worth the import price. It's an even bigger shame that such an amazing and critically acclaimed album fails to gain mass appeal.
Free Music Review: Over a year later and there's still something new...
Hit: 5 Stars
I've owned this album since the first week it came out and I can't go more than 3 days without allowing it to break and heal my heart all over again. There's no doubt that on first listen this is a powerful record, but what's amazing is that it's still as powerful on the 20th listen, the 500th listen...the 1,000th listen (which according to itunes I passed long ago). This is one of those records that you will never fully understand, in 20 years I'll still be deep in lyrical analysis. It's human in that way. It grows, it shifts, it takes on new meaning. It put old demons to sleep and wakes new ones. It lives.
It's still amazing to me that an album with so many dark and haunting themes, you would think that it would only leave the listening trapped in their own torment. No. The biggest theme, the leason you take away from it is hope.
The bottom line is. This is an amazing record. The lyrics, the vocals..all are brilliant. If you like Darren Hayes, you're gonna want to hear it. If you hate Darren Hayes...this may be even a more perfect album for you.