Hurts - 'Wonderful Life'
I know, I know, ANOTHER one of the blessed Sound of 2010 lot has a single out and of course we've got to talk about it because if the BBC says they're going to be huge well we've all just got to get behind them or get out of the way because after all the people voting in these polls are experts aren't they and if an expert tells you something is going to happen then it very probably will happen, it doesn't do to rock the boat...(and so on and so on).
And if that's close to what you think, all I can say is just you wait until the Daisy Dares You interview goes up next week. We should change our name to PollBlog and have done with it...
(Here's the video. Apparently it cost the band £20. Imagine what they could've done if they'd been prepared to put the extra fiver in.)
Now, for a very '80s sounding band with a very '80s visual aesthetic and a very '80s way of being pop stars, calling a doomy slice-of-life synthpop song 'Wonderful Life' is risky. There was this other song called 'Wonderful Life', you see. A song by a very '80s sounding band with a very '80s visual aesthetic and etc etc....a band called Black (ask frosty Aunt Miriam).
The two songs are not the same, they're really not, but they're also not so very different that you'd be mad to make a connection between them, and that's the risk. Hurts are effectively putting their song up against a synthpop classic and demanding that we choose between them. Which is either foolhardy in the extreme, or a brilliantly cocky bit of popstar showing off.
I'm gonna plump for the latter, frankly. This is partly because it's important that pop stars remember to stop being quite so happy, friendly and approachable, and remember to be mysterious, arrogant and sparkling. It is also partly because I like the cut of Hurts's jib so far, what with the wartime wardrobe, the fact that their name is a pun on Hertz (very synthpop, is that), and the general air of chilled parlour drama they emit.
But it is mainly because there aren't enough sad songs with bitterly optimistic lyrics, and in the end, having two with the same name just makes them easier to file.
Download: Out now
CD Released: January 18th
www.myspace.com/ithurts
BBC Sound of 2010 page (with AMAZING interview).
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comment number 1.
At 15:11 15th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:Check out the Arthur Baker remix of this . It's fantastic !!
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Comment number 2.
At 15:28 15th Jan 2010, Daniel wrote:Love this track!
I think these 2 might be the coolest looking in music at the minute!
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Comment number 3.
At 15:33 15th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:I agree Dan , that video just oozes cool !
The duo are big fans of less is more.... saying :
" It is harder to hold your breath .... than it is to breathe . "
I cannot tell you how much I love that quote .
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Comment number 4.
At 20:00 15th Jan 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:One of my favorite tracks from what I've heard from the Sound of 2010. I think 'Hollywood' is probably winning for best track at the moment... this... Delphics latest and 'Fireflies' are all great though.
Daisy dares on the other hand...
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Comment number 5.
At 20:31 15th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:Is Daisy Dares your Number One Enemy ?
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Comment number 6.
At 20:44 15th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:Normally I would mock someone for using a pun as bad as that but seeing as it's Spirit I'll let him off.
Great track, expecting big things from Hurts, Marina and The Drums. Already heard Delphic album and it's great, not too fussed about Ellie Goulding.
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Comment number 7.
At 20:47 15th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:I am going to see Delphic on Sunday Harry , and I have just got the album , should be good ! :)
The Hurts album is shaping up to be an absolute corker !
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Comment number 8.
At 20:59 15th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:Haven't got the album yet but I've listening to it obsessively on Spotify till I can be bothered to fork out for a real copy.
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Comment number 9.
At 21:01 15th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:What are your favourite tracks so far ? I have to know all the songs intimately by Sunday night .
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Comment number 10.
At 22:59 15th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:Counterpoint's great but its probably a bit too long so I'd say my favourite track so far is Halycon (hopefully it'll be the next single).
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Comment number 11.
At 23:42 15th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:I have a suspicion that Halycon and Remain will be the next singles because on the Itunes edition of the album they already have the videos for those songs with radio edits.
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Comment number 12.
At 23:47 15th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:CORRECTION the song's not called 'Halycon' its called Halcyon which is a mythical bird or a kingfisher, not sure which one the song refers to but I assume its probably not the latter.
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Comment number 13.
At 10:24 16th Jan 2010, flatknees wrote:great track but ive never heard of the other wonderful life song.. ive heard beautiful life by ace of base... love the description 'general air of chilled parlour drama they emit'
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Comment number 14.
At 16:40 17th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:The new video for Hurts' new song Blood, Tears and Gold is up on their youtube page, its done pretty much in the same style as Wonderful Life but with a little more money thrown at it.
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Comment number 15.
At 17:28 18th Jan 2010, jonesybcfc wrote:this is good, very good indeed. and they do look epically cool.
but 20 quid? what did they splash out on lunch or something? nothing happens! but still i like it!
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Comment number 16.
At 17:11 29th Aug 2010, spirit wrote:Wonderful Life will finally dent the Uk chart tonight .
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Comment number 17.
At 20:10 29th Aug 2010, OddOne wrote:But nowhere near it's deserving spot. It didn't even reach Top 20.
I want the next single to either be 'Stay', 'Sunday' or 'Devotion'.
'Wonderful Life' charted at #21.
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Comment number 18.
At 12:40 31st Aug 2010, stocksy wrote:I have passions for this song.
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