Secret codes & battleships! Rave reviews!

[DARKLIGHTDAN]

Darren Hayes has returned with his first record in four years, and it's an album that will add further longevity to an already impressive career.

Raising to prominance with Savage Garden, Hayes described Secret Codes And Battleships as a pop album, comparing it to the duo's debut record.

In our interview, he spoke of his ambition to create an album as a piece of art, a cohesive body of work.

It's an aim he's undoubtedly achieved across a well-crafted, consistent addition to his brilliant back catalogue.

At its heart, Secret Codes And Battleships is a wonderful celebration of pop music, proving that the genre isn't just plagued by the likes of The Wanted or Cher Lloyd.

The album isn't without it's weaker moments - the lyrics on 'Nearly Love' will make you cringe, although it's catchy in spite of this.

Instrumentally, Hayes has created a highly sophisticated record, carried by pop sensibilities but strengthened by an added depth missing from a lot of the genres more mainstream acts.

The strings on tracks like new single 'Black Out The Sun' are arranged well and add to the track, rather than feeling forced and detracted from the quality.

Secret Codes And Battleships is a record that excells in the instrumentation and melody rather than a deep lyrical content suggested by titles like 'God Walking Into The Room'.

The latter is a beautiful love song, although it continues an unfortunate trend of less-than-steller lyrics.

However, what can't be denied is that it's certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the dirge of boy-bands and X Factor pop acts breaking through - indeed, 'Hurt' is a wonderfully deep, honest insight into Hayes' mind.

This is a veteran continuing an admirable career with another fantastic record.

Whether it will be knocking on the door of any end of year lists remains to be seen, as it often feels less diverse than it perhaps should.

Regardless, any criticisms aimed at the album would be minor in comparison to the quality on display here, as Darren Hayes puts out yet another great full-lenghth

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/reviews/Darren+Hayes+album+review-16916.html

 

[DARKLIGHTDAN]

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Darren Hayes has managed to completely reinvent himself since his time as one half of Savage Garden. The Australian singer-songwriter has become known in more recent years for pushing the boundaries of pop and experimenting with his sound. His last album, This Delicate Thing We’ve Made, was an ambitious 2-disc release containing 25 songs. 4 years on from that record and Darren is back with his fourth solo album Secret Codes and Battleships.

Secret Codes and Battleships is a pure pop record with Darren even likening the record to the first Savage Garden album. On the 12 songs across the record, Darren has worked with former collaborator Walter Afanasieff (Roses), Phil Thornalley (Nearly Love) and Carl Falk amongst others. The album opens with the gentle Taken By The Sea which establishes a calm atmosphere before transforming into something altogether more euphoric.

Across the record Darren tries a variety of sounds whilst staying in the pop genre. Current single Black Out The Sun combines string sections with a hard beat whilst album highlight God Walking Into The Room explores electro-pop rhythms. The rock-lite Stupid Mistake is one of the album’s most radio-friendly moments and album closer The Siren’s Call slows things down showing off Darren’s remarkable voice in the process. The emotive Cruel Cruel World is one of the more stripped-back moments on the record.

Buzz single Talk Talk Talk is one of our favourite tracks on the record. The shimmering electro-pop beats pulsate from the speakers whilst the catchy chorus lodges in your brain. Bloodstained Heart is the track that really grabs your attention. Starting off low-key the song transforms into an epic pop ballad with Snow Patrol-esque moments peppered throughout. It’s a different sound for Darren and one that suits him down to the ground.

Secret Codes and Battleships is Darren’s greatest solo record to date. With every release he ups the ante and really pushes himself as an artist. This album is one of the strongest pop records we’ve heard in 2011 and Darren is vocally on very fine form. Honestly we don’t think this record is all that much like anything Savage Garden did but it’s also quite unlike anything Darren has recorded as a solo artist. The end result is something truly magnificent and special

http://entertainment-focus.com/music/articles/darren-hayes-secret-codes-and-battleships