Hurts have always strove to make perfectly imperfect pop music.
Sonically lush, vocally rich, the duo's songwriting recalls the finest 80s output you can imagine but places an artful, dramatically melancholic gauze upon it.
New album 'Surrender', their latest dose of hi-octane, hi-glamour pop music. Taking time out of their schedule, Hurts have agreed to take charge of our latest singles column – featuring Squeeze, Nick Jonas and "mum-rock".
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Jamie Lawson – 'Wasn’t Expecting That'
It's like Passenger, it's like James Bay, it's like Nizlopi. Mum-rock at its most potent and pure. It'll probably do really well.
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Natalie La Rose ft Fetty Wap – 'All Around The World'
The soundtrack to bottle service. Sparkly, overpriced, tasteless and ultimately depressing.
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Nelly ft Jeremih – 'The Fix'
Songs about sex are good. D'Angelo, Prince and Miguel all manage to pull it off with a class and charm which somehow makes the graphic image they paint of themselves swinging their dicks around in a neon bedroom seem vaguely romantic. However, this just sounds like a vodka-breathing sex predator trying to turn on a brick wall. It's getting cold in here, so put on all your clothes.
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Nick Jonas – 'Levels'
Sexually-active former virgin Nick Jonas going full Timberlake. This is actually alright. The little vocal bit is like 'Shutterbug' by Big Boi and that's fine.
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Philip George and Anton Powers – 'Alone No More'
A soft and sweet Euro-house cover of a song that British RnB legends Another Level did with Jay Z (yes, that happened). Harmless fun if not a little late for the summer sunshine it needs to really make sense.
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Squeeze – 'Happy Days'
Squeeze are one of my favourite bands. So unique, so British and so timeless. My Dad made me learn all the words to 'Cool For Cats' when I was a kid and I never stopped loving them. This is a total return to form, I've listened to it loads. Could easily be a song off 'Argy Bargy'. Viva Squeeze.
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The Wombats – 'Emoticons'
There's an argument in a universe somewhere that says that The Wombats irreverent and benign reflection of irony and lol-culture in the 21st century is akin to The Ramones singing about 53rd & 3rd or The Clash's angry London. Perhaps the only difference is that riots, drugs, prostitutes and social unrest create much a much cooler, richer facade than Facebook, Hollyoaks and Vodka Revolution.
Whether calling a song 'Emoticons' is an empty gimmick or an arch statement of post-modernism, there is a bitter truth in the fact that 2015 is a world of emoticons and dancing ironically to Joy Division. So don't blame the mirror for the reflection. Anyway, It's an OK tune. I like the groove.
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Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – 'Soul Makossa (Money)'
Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP beat our song 'Stay' to number one in Germany with their hit 'Me No Speak Americano'. I have found my peace with that. This is more of the same… Brass samples and quirky recycled lyrics. The legacy of 'The Race' by the almighty Yello lives on.
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'Surrender' is out now.