Review of Exile from Hurts

Electro pop fans were delighted with the quality of early singles by Hurts in 2010. Better than Love and Wonderful Life were of high quality and the fans were hoping for more. Theo Hutchcraft, who sang, and Adam Anderson who was the keyboardist, were already looking seasoned. But the hopes of the fans were dashed as Hurts gave up on electro and adopted theatrical ornamentations looking inspired by Vienna by Ultravox.

Exile seems to belong to a darker world than Happiness, the debut album by Hurts. The leanings of the music band towards opera have been overtaken by chanting by Sandman that reminds one of For America from Red Box in 1986. So good has been the promotion of the album that even a poker faced title track of Exile seems to have no effect on the crazy fans of the group. One of the tracks labeled Miracle is going to appeal to fans of all hues.

One song titled ‘Only You’ has the capability to lift and cheer up the spirits of the listener and it is one track that does not look like sounding too much like the songs of the 80’s. Another track ‘The Road’ reminds one of Nine Inch Nails. It is an average track that tries hard but sounds bleak to the ears. It is the ballad called The Crow that is the saving grace for the album. This song provides glimpses of intimacy that is missing from the rest of the tracks.