Having not released an album since 2004, iconic pop double act Tears for Fears have returned with updated sound in new album, The Tipping Point.
Most well-known for their 80s pop anthem ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’, it is hard to believe that Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith would return with an album in 2022 that is so mature and filled with angst and pain. While in their youth, Tears for Fears used the synthetic pop sound to foreshadow their hurt, in their return, they have taken to guitars and slow bass to show their vulnerability in a new way.
The album is almost an homage to their debut, The Hurting, where now they reflect on their life together as friends, musicians, and the current world. After a short split from 1990 to 2004 and taking time to heal themselves, the pair came back with Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, which although was not a huge hit with fans, was a meaningful tribute to their friendship. Their new album is almost a sombre addition to this.
The Tipping Point is no different from any other Tears for Fears album in the sense that it does not shy away from honesty. However, this time there is a greater feeling of intimacy, likely because after the failure of Everybody Wants a Happy Ending, Orzabel and Smith fired everyone, meaning that this album was created heart to heart, akin to their debut.
Tears seem to have matured their music with age, and with that comes change. The Tipping Point is an inherently different sound to the band we know. Tracks like ‘No Small Thing’ and the title track have an almost heavier feeling to them, with Orzabels’ vocals comparable to that of Myles Kennedy or Smith and Myers. While ‘My Demons’ is the most similar to their earlier work, a synth-pop feel with a sprinkle of indie-rock almost like Duran Duran, or for younger listeners, Foals.
The duo uses their new lyrics to link back to their last album. “This is gone too far, When everything is running out, This is love…” Orzabel sings in ‘Break The Man’, which is another perspective of earlier single ‘Woman in Chains’ – a supportive anthem to those within the #MeToo movement. While in their track ‘Master Plan’, we hear a Beatles similarity in “Need a lot of rage to get by these days, you need a lot of faith to reach the sun” as they talk about the current world and how it feels to be alive.
Although The Tipping Point is without a doubt another masterclass in music, it still feels like it is missing something. It does not come polished; it comes without an urgency or fire. This leaves the question, as they enter their 60s, is this the beginning of the end for Tears for Fears? Afterall, it is not easy to make waves after 18 years.
