Formed from the ashes of first band Graduate, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith teamed up again for Tears For Fears in 1981. Whereas other British synth bands would fit neatly into the new romantic era, Tears For Fears songs were filled with heavy emotions based partly on the work of author Arthur Janov (primal therapy) and deep seeded scars from childhood traumas. There is a black and white starkness to their first record, 1983’s The Hurting but it is also warmed up by various instrumental effects that give it a pop sheen.
This is shown impressively on first single “Mad World”. A top three hit in the UK, it’s an emotional song with Smith’s beautiful, soft vocals in the first verse that turn more forceful in the chorus as he sings “I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad/The dreams in which I’m dying/Are the best I’ve ever had”. The pace really picks up in the second verse, where the song written by Orzabal in his Bath apartment would fit in well on the darker corners of the dancefloor.
The duo both sing the title track where the vocals give it a bit of a pop feel even as they sing, “learn to cry like a baby/Then the hurting won’t come back”. “Pale Shelter” was an earlier single re-recorded for the album, the standout song warmed up by an acoustic guitar. The chorus of “Suffer The Children” about the innocence of kids needing to be loved blasts out of the speakers. Third single “Change” was a world wide hit and for many, their introduction to the band. The distinctive keyboard running throughout the track made for a memorable initiation into their world, one with the pre chorus line of “It’s all too late” providing a lyrical hook.
It’s remarkable that an album of such lyrical depth and emotion became a mainstream hit. Such was the sound of the album that it was impossible to deny the hooks. “Mad World” would turn up again years later in a haunting version on the Donnie Darko soundtrack, this time sending the song to the top of the charts. The expanded version adds alternate versions of the singles + “The Way You Are (Extended Version)”. The Hurting is an album that can fit into any era and today still sounds just as relevant as ever.
9/10
The Light Appears 