Having been tipped for success by the BBC on their Sound of 2010 shortlist, the anticipation surrounding the debut album from Manchester duo Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson has been considerable. While on the surface Hurts seem too 80s to possibly have any original ideas, delving a little deeper reveals enough sheen and ingenuity to back up the hype.
Despite the fact that their music is entirely synth based, it's actually Hutchcraft's silky smooth voice and its constant veil of reverb that bestows Hurts with 80s reference points like New Order and the Human League. But Hutchcraft's vocals are not to be scoffed at, as anyone who has seen one of his supreme live performances will testify. Perhaps the boys shouldn't have so wholeheartedly embraced the 80s image, making it seem like a sort of gimmick that overshadowed their music altogether. In fact, these songs have many modern touches such as the use of synthesised voices on 'Silver Lining' and the blending of fervent strings and grumbling electronic rhythms on 'Unspoken'. Standout track 'Illuminated' actually has quite a futuristic quality about it, creating a seemingly vast atmosphere through a combination of crisp, shimmering sounds above a soft yet solid bassy foundation.
Though Kylie Minogue makes an appearance on 'Devotion', it's actually one of the less absorbing tunes here, its plain beat hardly varying and its chorus failing to diverge much from its verse. Similarly, the slow-moving 'Evelyn' takes too long to come to its admittedly dramatic climax, while 'Blood, Tears & Gold' is actually too cheesy for words, coming across like something Westlife and their ilk will be hurriedly vying to cover. But despite the fact that Hurts' conscious homage to 80s synthpop leaves certain tracks feeling a touch dated, overall Happiness offers a refreshing and welcome new take on an old genre.
