13 tracks · 3 min
If Hurts' previous release, 2013's Exile, expanded on the grayscale minimalism of their 2010 debut with a symphonic grandiosity that imbued their sound with tasteful hints of color, then their 2015 release Surrender marks their entree into luminous, full-scale chromatism. Centered on the talents of vocalist Theo Hutchcraft and instrumentalist Adam Anderson, Hurts have built a rabidly loyal following with their distinctive, highly stylized sound. Joining Hurts here is Exile's Jonas Quant, along with Grammy-winning producers Stuart Price (Madonna, the Killers) and Ariel Rechtshaid (Haim, Vampire Weekend). Hutchcraft and Anderson remain in creative control, however, approaching their '80s-esque brand of pop/rock with as much deft precision as ever. The main difference here is the overall feeling of buoyancy, as Hutchcraft and Anderson apply their top-shelf pop songcraft to a decidedly more energized and euphoric collection of tunes than we’ve heard from them in the past, like the '70s disco-inspired "Lights," and "Kaleidoscope." Even when contemplating the dichotomous complexities of romantic love, as Hutchcraft does on "Why," singing, "If this is love, why does it hurt so bad?," his …
