Hurts - Some Kind Of Heaven

I feel like I've had an interesting relationship with the music of Hurts. I knew of them back when they were Daggers... an electro-pop band that recorded some of the best unreleased material of the past decade. Then they went all serious and brooding when they became Hurts, abandoning most of the big pop moments that I'd fallen in love with in the first place in favor of something more subdued. And now that they've kind of gone back to the poppiness with this new single, I'm seeing that some fans of the "Hurts sound" are not happy. However, I'm finally back on board. I guess they're damned if they do, damned if they don't. But regardless of which incarnation of the band you're a fan of, I just don't see how you can't be won over by Some Kind Of Heaven. It's straightforward radio pop, but with grand production and a rapturous hook. A part of me hopes that they've rediscovered their roots and recorded an entire album in this style.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Countdown to the Countdowns: An Alienhits Christmas!

Next week kicks off my annual year-end countdowns. Top 20 Albums and Top 50 Singles, here we come! But first, I've got a week-long countdown to my countdown, starting with this requested feature on Christmas music!

While Christmas is definitely one of my most favorite times of the year, when it comes to music I'm more of a Halloween songs kind of guy. Still, there are quite a few of lesser known tracks that I love to listen to around the holidays. Here, in no particular order, are a few of them:

Darren Hayes - Last Christmas
My favorite version of this track, captured during his Savage Garden days. It ups the tempo and pretty much perfects an already perfect pop song.

Melody Club - I Don’t Believe In Angels
The kind of Christmas track I could (and do) listen to all year long. It's got everything: bells, cheesy lyrics, a singalong chorus and that indelible Melody Club charm.

Girls Aloud - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (or anything off their EP)
Leave it to Girls Aloud to camp up Christmas. This is them at the height of their powers.

The Who - Christmas
From the best rock opera ever, Tommy, it's not the happiest of tracks, but it's freaking brilliant. I've gotta say, though, I prefer the movie version to the Who's version.

Aqua - Spin me a Christmas
Christmas the euro-pop way! Aqua 2.0 basically can do no wrong, and this follows suit.

Lady Gaga - Christmas Tree
She may have a new, more traditional Christmas EP out now, but I prefer this smutty oldie recorded back when she was still hungry for fame.

Sparks - Thank God It’s Not Christmas
An epic song anyway you shake it, this is just ridiculous bombast. Not the cheeriest of lyrics, but they're amazing anyway.

Hurts - All I Want for Christmas is New Year’s Day
It's about as downbeat as you'd expect from these guys, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The bells make it.

Billy Elliot Soundtrack - Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher
From the absolute best modern stage musical, this is the show's catchiest track. I listen to it all year, but it's especially festive (in a vitriolic, down-with-Thatcher way) this time of year.

Pikko - The Ghost of Christmas Future
An icy electro track by one of my favorite indie Swedish artists. It's not high on melody, but has a sound that compliments the chilly season.

The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)
Pretty much what you'd expect from a Christmas song by the Darkness. It's got everything stuffed into it. And it's highly melodic to boot.

And some songs that sample Christmas. Can you tell which classics these tracks use?

Prozzak - It's Not Me It's You
The Mo - Rats on the Radio
JLS - Do You Feel What I Feel

Top 20 Albums of 2010: 10-9

10. Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite



After a disappointing comeback in 2008, Minogue returned to what she does best: pure, unadulterated dance pop. Even with a few clunkers, the success of this album is that it sounds like an album. The songs fit together as one body of work. Thank producer Stuart Price for that, who has no less that three albums in my countdown this year. Kylie hasn’t felt this alive or relevant for years now. Who else, at this stage in their career, is capable of making an album this good? It’s a pretty big achievement.

Facebook

9. Hurts - Happiness



One of my most conflicted inclusions on this countdown. Last year, if I were to have strung all of Daggers’ demo recordings into one album, the band would have easily had the album of 2009. Of course, Daggers are no more and in their place are Hurts. And while this is a solid release, it’s obviously not my album of the year. It’s a case of knowing that they can do better. I mean, I’ve heard it myself. That being said, judged by any other standard this is easily one of the year’s highlights. Theo’s moody vocals are intact and they even threw a couple of the (lesser) Daggers songs onto the album for good measure. I am eagerly waiting to see what evolves from them next.

Facebook

Top 50 Singles of 2010: 25-21

25. Gravitonas - Kites



Alexander Bard’s new band’s first single proved to be their best--a slowly building electro-rock grind that becomes more immense with each passing second.

24. Ola Svensson - All Over The World



He came back this year with two tracks worthy of standing beside his best work. This easily could have been the Summer’s anthem had it been released sooner.

23. Hurts - Better Than Love



I’ve known of this song for a couple of years now in its original demo form and it was such a treat to hear it as a single in 2010. This is the kind of uptempo track Hurts should be releasing more of.

22. Short Stack - We Dance To A Different Disco, Honey



I was skeptical that Planets was a one-off and these guys would revert back to their old, annoying sound, but then this came out and blew me away. A brilliant example of radio alt-rock at its best.

21. Ola Svensson - Unstoppable (The Return Of Natalie)



My favorite entry in this year's Melodifestivalen, delivered by one of the most consistent popstars in Sweden. The piano riff is absolutely insidious. But it’s that chorus that seals the deal.

Top 50 Singles of 2010: 35-31

35. Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart



His North American breakthrough and the first song that made me stand up and take notice of his way with hooks. Listen to the original Ludacris free version, though.

34. Goldfrapp - Rocket



The year’s best “up yours” kiss-off song, set to a synth beat with enough pep to power a spaceship. It was Summer come early.

33. Timoteij - Kom



Laughed it off originally, then backed it to win this year’s Melodifestivalen. There’s no resisting that ethno-synth stomp.

32. One Night Only - Say You Don’t Want It



A reinvention that worked wonders. It wasn’t able to be sustained through an entire album, but here it’s three and a half minutes of pop bliss.

31. Hurts - Wonderful Life



The song that represented the shift from the Daggers to the Hurts sound. Began life this year as a charming mystery of a song. Ended it as a solid hit.

Top 50 Singles of 2010: 45-41

45. The Dirty Disco - Sista!



One of my list’s newer bands, these guys burst on the scene in the best possible way with this rock/electro/glam/hybrid.

44. Hurts - Stay



The first of several songs on the countdown from the group formerly known as Daggers. This is a big, dramatic ballad done right.

43. Example - Last Ones Standing



It’s all about that thundering opening. He found a way to make what can be a niche sound into something stadium-filling. His best single.

42. Tove Styrke - White Light Moment



The Swedish Idol alum proves that she’s the coolest of the cool with this stately electro anthem. Best thing she’s done by far.

41. Marina & The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot



So good it was released twice. This delicate, icy ballad pushes “quirky” to just the right level. I love it when it takes off at the end.

Hurts - All I Want For Christmas Is New Year's Day

"I'm not supposed to feel this way"

They're not the most likely band to record a Christmas single, but from the title to the sound, this is a perfect release from Hurts. It's exactly what you'd expect from them -- a big, melancholy ballad with orchestral (in this case, Christmas bells) influences. Holiday theme aside, it would fit perfectly on their album. I'm not sure if it's a proper single release or just an extra little curio, but if given a push I think this could do well for them. At the very least, it's bound to enjoy cult status among fans. They do soaring very well, and the chorus to this certainly fits the bill. And can I just suggest that more pop songs employ the use of bells (Christmas or not)? I'm not sure what it is about them, but I'm convinced that they make everything better.

Hurts - All I Want For Christmas Is New Year's Day by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the debut album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Track-by-Track: Hurts - Happiness

Hurts come onto the scene with raised expectations. It's hard for any band to live up to "best of '10" press before they've even got an album out. Add to that their stellar reputation from now-defunct pop band Daggers and this album carries with it more baggage than any other this year. To its credit, it offers exactly the type of sound we'd expect from Hurts. That's both a good thing and a bad thing.

1. Silver Lining - A slightly aggressive midtempo that goes big on the drama but a little soft on the melody. The chorus just doesn't soar the way that their best songs do. Would've worked better in a different track position on the album. 8/10

2. Wonderful Life - The single that really defines the Hurts sound. It's moody without being dragged down by a plodding sound. I love the storytelling in the lyrics and the hook is incredibly strong. 10/10

3. Blood, Tears & Gold - A big, lighters-in-the-air ballad that's totally misplaced this early in the album. It's more of a "second half" song, if you know what I mean. Still, one of their best ballads. 9/10

4. Sunday - The kind of soaring uptempo that I hoped would appear at least once on this album. The orchestral flourishes transform this into something quite special. 10/10

5. Stay - Another winner, and the best ballad on the album. If this isn't a hit single, I'll be surprised. It's one of those songs you hear for the first time and know it'll be big. Pop magic. 10/10

6. Illuminated - I've never been very fond of this track. It's one of the moodier songs, but comes and goes without really doing anything. I think I'm in the minority on this one, though. 7/10

7. Evelyn - An old Daggers song, this has been augmented into something completely over-the-top. It builds and builds until exploding in a heavy ending. A perfect example of what Hurts should be about. 9/10

8. Better Than Love - Another Daggers song, and this one hasn't been changed much from the original. It's one of the few uptempos on here (they could've done with more) and definitely a highlight. It's all dramatic, swirling synths. 10/10

9. Devotion (ft. Kylie Minogue) - A moody piece that sounds very similar to Silver Lining, except it's miles better. It's nice hearing Minogue on a dark track like this again. Future single, for sure. It would be a great Winter release. 9/10

10. Unspoken - This has improved so much from the original demo. I love the kitchen sink production, though I'm guessing it won't be to everyone's taste. Like Evelyn, this builds and builds until it becomes something quite anthemic. 9/10

11. The Water - A quiet closer with symphonic backing. The lyrics are nice but the melody's not one of the stronger on the album. Atmospheric, but not quite as affecting as it could have been. 7/10

Album Grade: 8.9/10

Hurts - Sunday

"It's just another lonely Sunday"

As I've mentioned before, I've been a fan of Theo and Adam for a couple of years now, ever since they were part of the electropop band Daggers. Now the day has finally come where they can officially release an album as Hurts. It's a little anticlimactic, both because I'd heard most of the album already and because, as good as Hurts are (and the album's terrific), I'm still such a Daggers fan that I can only imagine what might have been if they had continued down that route. That being said, one of the album's brightest spots is the uptempo Sunday, which sounds very much like a Daggers song. It's got the string-laden grandeur of Hurts, though, which makes it quite epic. An album of this style would be absolutely incredible. Melodic, rousing pop rarely gets the love that it deserves, and I imagine this will get looked over by critics in favor of some of the album's moodier moments (of which there are many - a little too many, if you ask me). This maintains the lovelorn lyrics, but melds them with sprawling, chugging production that suits Theo's lush vocals perfectly. The build-up to the last chorus is out of this world. Despite some of my misgivings, I highly recommend that you check out the album as well.

Hurts - Sunday by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Hurts - Moscow

"Romance and perfect sex"

Technically this isn't a Hurts song. It's one of Daggers' old demos. But since a large chunk of Daggers are now Hurts, I'm relabeling it for clarification's sake. Hurts' impending success in Europe is a little bittersweet for me. I love them and am counting the days until their album's out, but I also loved Daggers. In fact, even though the band never released a proper album (besides the album-and-a-half worth of polished demo tracks and a single), I can genuinely say they're in my top ten bands of the decade. Hurts is more atmospheric and somber in nature than Daggers ever was, and it'll be interesting to see how that plays out. As far as Daggers' material, Moscow is the closing "bonus" track on my album playlist. It shares a lot of similarities with Hurts' sound when it comes to atmospherics, though its weird spacey beat places it in a category unto itself... sort of a transitional phase between Daggers and Hurts (which makes me wonder what year it was produced). It's also nearly six minutes long, though it hardly feels like it. Each phase of the song, from the extended, blippy intro to the dark verses, soaring chorus and catchy synth refrain, compliments what comes before and after perfectly. It's not the most instant or anthemic song in their catalog (there are too many others to choose from, really), but it's one that'll stick with you. I doubt whether there'll be something like this on the album, but I'm glad it exists at all!

Hurts - Moscow by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Music Video: Hurts - Wonderful Life

I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see one of my old favs (Daggers) come as far as they have and release a video as amazing and professional as this. Wonderful Life has already gained traction in mainland Europe and it'd be a crime if the same doesn't happen in the UK. This stylish video should help.

Hurts - Better Than Love

"You let your body burn like never before"

I feel like I've got a special connection to Hurts. I've been following them for several years now, ever since they were Daggers. And I couldn't be happier that they've chosen this, an uptempo Daggers song, for their official debut single. I wrote a few months ago about how worried I was that the Hurts album would be filled with downtempo tracks. It's not that I don't like their slower stuff (I do!), but the uptempo, energetic pop found in their work with Daggers qualifies as some of the most epic music released in the past few years. As far as I'm concerned, they could just release an album of that and I'd be beyond happy. They've augmented this particular track a bit from its Daggers days, but thankfully they haven't screwed it up. In fact, the subtle changes actually make it more dramatic. I've always loved how the verses surge into that powerful chorus. Theo really is a dynamic vocalist. I hope radio programmers pick up on this, prompting a go-ahead for uptempo Hurts music. It may not be particularly "moody" or "cool," but it's heaps more fun. I wonder if they'll be allowed to put Money on the album? (My guess is "yes," since Sony BMG have removed all the clips of it from youtube)

Hurts - Better Than Love by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

What Happens When Personal Favorite Becomes the Next Big Thing?

I love it when an artist that I've heralded on this blog becomes a big success. It's happened a few times before, and looks to happen again with Hurts, who have been tipped by many in the media as the next big thing for 2010. But it didn't happen without a few changes.

I wrote about Hurts extensively back when they were called Daggers. In fact, their single Money was my number one song of 2008 (though technically it was released in late 07). I lamented when the group broke up, and still believe that they've got some of the best unreleased tracks ever recorded. I like to string them together to form an album-that-never-was. If it had been released, it would easily challenge this year's crop for the number one position on my countdown.

But enough about Daggers. Even though I don't want to believe it, they're gone--as is their brand of brash, glossy electro. Now we've got Hurts, which in name and sound seems to be a reaction to Daggers. A comedown, a morning after. From what I've heard so far (four songs and a remix), the tone is muted and subtle, the tempo is slowed, and the overall sound is more wistful and stately.

Exhibit A: Daggers - Death It Feels
Daggers - Death It Feels by alienhits

Exhibit B: Hurts - Unspoken
Hurts - Unspoken by alienhits

Both are obviously fantastic, but based on my tastes alone, I can't help but wish that it was Daggers that were receiving all of this exciting press, but we've yet to see exactly what Hurts will do. After all, the principle songwriters are still there. The wonderful vocals are intact. The songs are good (though too often not great) and I think they have a hit in Wonderful Life (the best of their output thus far). I just hope they remember what made them hurt in the first place.

What about you guys? Which of the two songs above do you prefer? I think both represent the sound of their respective band pretty accurately.

Hear two other songs performed on bbc radio (fast forward an hour and three minutes into the broadcast)

Wonderful Life video

Their (frustratingly cryptic) Myspace