A timeless and fascinating collection...
"Article published in Clash Magazine. Author: Emma Harrison."
Life is always sweeter when you have new material from the magnificent Tears For Fears. With ‘Songs For A Nervous Planet’, you get the best of both worlds – classic Tears For Fears tracks in a live setting as well as four brand new songs from the acclaimed duo.
Weaving electrifying new material with evergreen fan favourites, the album’s title was inspired by Matt Haig’s book Notes On A Nervous Planet, which talks about how modern life can feed into our anxiety, subsequently helping you to live a better life.
The new studio tracks fit in effortlessly with a curated smorgasbord of the band’s most-loved tunes which were performed live last summer in Franklin, Tennessee as part of their ‘The Tipping Point’ tour and features a number of songs from ‘The Tipping Point’ album itself.
This is the band’s first official live album and as one of the best touring bands around, you have to question why it took them so long to release a live album which has been released simultaneously to coincide with a feature film which is out this week. But it’s here and some things are worth waiting for.
The duo had to respond to some criticism for the album artwork of ‘Songs For A Nervous Planet’ which used elements of AI for the digital collage as part of the creative process. The cover pays homage to classic Tears For Fears imagery with its blazing yellow sunflowers coupled with the juxtaposition of the new with the graphic of an astronaut which represents one of their latest songs ‘Astronaut’.
With the new material, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith serve up four fantastic tracks that could have easily been released as a standalone EP on its own merit and are set to become a solid part of the band’s canon.
From the intoxicating whistling and enigmatic basslines of ‘Say Goodbye To Mum And Dad’ which still feels uplifting despite the slightly acerbic lines ‘Everything is up for grabs / Go tell all your friends, society’s gone mad’ to the gorgeous ‘The Girl That I Call Home’, Roland’s love letter to his wife Emily where he tells her ‘You are everything I ever wanted’, the new songs are well-crafted and captivating.
It’s lovely to see the band tackle more uplifting material after the emotive ‘The Tipping Point’ which was Roland’s way of channelling his artistry and grief after the tragic loss of his first wife who sadly passed away in 2017. It seems that whilst ‘The Tipping Point’ was centered around pain and loss, that the majority of the new songs on ‘Notes On A Nervous Planet’ are decidedly more positive, celebrating life, love and the band sonically coming back into the light.
The best new track is the emotional ‘Astronaut’ which sounds like it could have been released from ‘Songs From The Big Chair’. From Roland’s stunning falsetto to the expansive psychedelic crescendos, ‘Astronaut’ tells the story of feeling alienated and the panic of feeling like you don’t belong and simply have to to escape. It takes inspiration from prog rock and dreamy new wave and its anthemic chorus gives you a real sense of release.
The concert tracks which make up the remainder of the album are a glittering showcase of some of the band’s most-loved cuts, such as the superbly-arranged ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’. With its climatic bridge and upbeat riff which tells the story of a myriad of contemporary issues that encompass financial, political and environmental issues as evidenced with the line, “turn your back on Mother Nature…”
Emotional storytelling is always front and centre of the band’s lyrics and ‘The Tipping Point’ is incredibly moving, telling the story of the ‘tipping point’ between life and death as is ‘No Small Thing’ with its Cash-esque riffs and folky vibe which again demonstrates the heart and soul of the bands lyrics.
From the epic drums and psychedelic-pop beats of ‘Sowing The Seeds Of Love’ where you get a true sense of the power of Roland and Kurt’s vocals to the meticulous arrangement of ‘Shout’ from their seminal album ‘Songs from the Big Chair’ which always is mind-blowing on the live stage, this album really spirits you away to the joy of watching Tears for Fears live.
This timeless and fascinating collection takes you on an unparalleled sonic journey that represents the brilliance, emotional connection and enduring legacy of the band that can be found in abundance both on record and the live stage.
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