Hurts’s fifth release in 10 years is as perfectly packaged and flawlessly produced as you’d hope — but don’t let that fool you into thinking the latest chapter in the Manchester duo’s journey has been easy.
Singer Theo Hutchcraft and instrumentalist Adam Anderson’s latest album was born from a period of unrest which saw the former face depression and exhaustion (which he spoke openly about in 2017).
The searingly honest piano ballad All I Have to Give provided a breakthrough as he turned his gaze on himself. “You might be right sometimes, I’m too scared to open up,” Hutchcraft sings. Redemption is equally powerful, as a cinematic instrumental penned by Anderson years ago finds its perfect match in Hutchcraft’s musings on self-doubt.
There’s a darkness which permeates all 11 tracks. The thrilling Fractured sees Hutchcraft’s vocals reduced to a disturbing whisper to survey personal faults. Previous single Suffer is an atmospheric exploration of desire — with a baseline featuring a recording of their whirring studio coffee machine.
