Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
Hurts, Better Than Love, 23 May 2010
There's something Suede-like about Hurts: the chiseled good looks, the photogenic poses, the pop sensibilities aimed a few decades back, and the total lack of humour... if Melody Maker were still around, they'd have plastered them all over their cover by now, heralding them as the new saviours of Pop. In fact, quite a few people have done that already. Although Hurts take themselves a little too seriously (particularly in their almost fiction-like newsletters) they are also very good at what they do: synth pop with hooks that merge East 17 sweetness with New Order's melancholic beats. They come from Manchester and they perpetuate the myth of all Mancunians being prisoners to a perpetual rain blanket. Some time ago, their brilliant song "Wonderful Life" [1] was leaked with an accompanying video but it didn't even get a single release - the official debut is the equally good "Better Than Love". The B-side is a good remix by German electro house combo Tiefschwarz. Hurts are supporting Grace Jones, Hercules and Love Affair and Cut Copy this July at Victoria Park's Lovebox. Can they translate their lights down danceclub aura to the sunny outdoors? Will be interesting to see them try.
// Hurts Home
Click to view[1] My boyfriend just walked in and ordered me to trash "Wonderful Life" from my iTunes. He hates it; says it goes on for "too long". Pffff, what does he know?