hurts happiness album download free Happiness. Whereas the likes of La Roux, Ladyhawke, and Little Boots have found both commercial and critical success with their retro brand of '80s synth pop, their male counterparts have struggled to connect with audiences in the same way. Frankmusik's online buzz failed to translate into record sales while Dan Black and Ali Love's careers stuttered before they really started. However, Manchester duo Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson, aka Hurts, could well be the act to buck the trend. With influences stretching far beyond the usual Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys, their debut album, Happiness, has reference points that also appear to include the gothic balladry of Sisters of Mercy ("Evelyn"), the polished electro of a-ha ("Better Than Love"), and even the glossy new wave of Johnny Hates Jazz ("Blood, Tears and Gold"). But what on paper could have been nothing more than a derivative homage turns out to be one of the most consistently inventive pop albums of the year. Opening track "Silver Lining" begins with robotic processed beats and ends in a gloriously overblown wave of Gregorian chanting, "Sunday" is an anthemic slice of Hi-NRG string-soaked Europop occupying the space between Coldplay and Cascada, and "Stay" is a dramatic gospel-fused love song that highlights Hutchcraft's delicate but powerful vocals. Best of all is breakthrough track "Wonderful Life," a heart-wrenching tale of bitter optimism set against a backdrop of clattering rhythms, shimmering atmospheric synths, and one of the signature sounds of the '80s, the saxophone solo. Unfortunately, its lyrics, full of banal and clichéd metaphors, aren't as interesting as the music they accompany, while the final three tracks, including "Devotion," a disappointingly turgid duet with Kylie Minogue, don't quite live up to the rest of the album's high standards. But despite unashamedly wearing its influences on its sleeve, Happiness cleverly avoids being just a pastiche, with its sophisticated and grandiose production adding a modern twist to its authentic and affectionate '80s sound. Hurts happiness album download free. Prev Next Chevron Right. Companies, etc. Record Company – Sony Music Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Major Label Ltd. Copyright © – Major Label Ltd. Licensed To – Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited Distributed By – Sony Music Entertainment Pressed By – Sony Music – 54854307 Pressed By – Sony Music – 54854311 Phonographic Copyright ℗ – ABC Entertainment GmbH. Credits. Cameraman [BlackCam Operator] – Kristian Raue ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Norman Petkau ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Cameraman [Camera Crane Operator] – Heiko Kulik ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Stefan Janecke ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Cameraman [Camera Operator] – Andreas Börner (2) ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Bernhard Baran ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Gregor Steinhöfer ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Markus Otto ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , René Gorski ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Cameraman [Logged Off Cameras] – Bernhard Baran ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Crew [Stage & Production Crew] – Chris Freeman (9) ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Lee Birchall ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Design – Samuel Muir Director Of Photography – Tomas Erhart ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Engineer [Audioengineer] – Stefan Sarow ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Director – Thomas Janze ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Director [Assistant Director] – Nils Hoffman ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Director [Director Of Postproduction] – Gunther Kutsch* ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Editor [Postproduction-editor] – Bernhard Baran ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Producer – Gunther Kutsch* ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Producer [Co-producer] – Ira Bruggmann ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Producer [Line Producer] – Mark C. Rump ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Technician [BlackCam Engineer] – Jan Karabasz ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Technician [Digital Recording] – Kilian Hirt ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Technician [Streaming Operator] – Mark C. Rump ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Philipp Angele ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Technician [Technical Assistant] – Simone Baumstark ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Technician [Video Engineer] – Robert Umkehrer ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Film Technician [Video Technician] – Michael Rindermann ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Lighting [Lighting & Visuals] – Dan Robinson (4) ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Management – Matt Vines ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Management [Tour] – Neil Reeves ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Mixed By [Sound-Mix For Streaming/Recording] – Jacky Lehmann ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Musician [Band] – Amy May ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Matt White (3) ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Paloma Deike ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Paul Walsham ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Penny Ainscow ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Pete Watson (6) ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Rhian Porter ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Other [Dancers] – Emily Rumbles ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Francesca Hoffman ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Other [Helping Hand] – Gernot Tögel ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Keith Green ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Marcus Eisermann ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Michel Burmeister ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Paul Baranski ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Other [Production Assistant] – Jamie Massie ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Other [Technical Venue Manager] – Basti Weinert ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Photography By [Booklet] – Ali Tollervey , Biff Stannard , Dave Ma , Florin Bondrila , James Wicks , Katja Ruge , Roger Sargent Photography By [Set Photographer] – Martin Wettig ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Photography By [Sleeve] – Laurence Ellis Production Manager – Heiko Götze ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD- 16 ) Technician [Sound] – Adam Pendse ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) , Dan Kent ( tracks: DVD-1 to DVD-16 ) Notes. Gatefold card sleeve with photo booklet. No printed tracklisting for the DVD on the sleeve. On the back cover it states the DVD has both PCM Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio but it's PCM only. ℗ & © 2011 Major Label Limited under exclusive licence to Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited. Distributed by Sony Music Entertainment. Made in the EU. Concert film: © 2011 MAJOR LABEL LIMITED ℗ 2011 ABC Entertainment GmbH. Gunther Kutsch's name is misspelled as "Gunter Kutsch" on the packaging, and correctly spelled as "Gunther Kutsch" in the in-film end credits. Hurts Happiness. Nostalgia is a powerful, powerful thing. It’s the reason bands like Motley Crue and Limp Bizkit still have careers. For many, it’s far easier to gaze through the sepia-tinged window of days gone by than to wander blind into an uncertain future. While innovative bands that push genre boundaries certainly have their place in the music industry, sometimes it’s better for a group to sound somewhat familiar. It’s a quality that makes them welcoming, and taps into the deep veins of nostalgia that run through our heads. “Happiness” is the debut release from young Manchester synthpop group Hurts. In case you were wondering, yes, the album title is ironic. The lyrical themes present on this album include such charming topics as relationships ending, suicide and sitting cold and alone in a hospital with nothing but the “lullabies of the machines” to comfort you. But this is not a collection that is saturated with despair- rather, this is a glorious affirmation of humanity’s continual triumph against adversity, as well as one of the classiest and elegant pop albums to have been released in years. The whole thing is conducted on an impressively grand scale, with orchestras and choirs swooping in at any given moment to elevate the music to a near-ridiculous state of immensity. Rather than dominate the music, the electronics employed on “Happiness” serve more to embellish songs than to drive the album, with gorgeous bursts of synth used to powerful effect on “Blood, Tears and Gold” and “Evelyn” to name but two songs. The production of the album is excellent, with every massive soundscape given just the right amount of room to breathe to engulf the listener. But all this razzle-dazzle would be pointless if there were no good songs. Fortunately, Hurts have good songs in spades. Each of the 11 cuts on “Happiness” is a generous slice of melodic brilliance, each song earning its place on the tracklisting and each one in the correct position to make maximum impact. From the grandiose opening gambit of “Silver Lining” to the chilling piano balladry of closer “The Water”, “Happiness” is an enchanting journey of honey-sweet melodies and instrumental swells that never sacrifices momentum. The album is remarkably consistent, but there are nonetheless highlights. “Sunday” contrasts with the mid-paced nature of the rest of the material by throwing up chunky synth lines and pulsing rhythms, all topped off with glorious vocal hooks by the marvellously voiced Theo Hutchcraft. “Devotion” is a duet themed around adultery with none other than Kylie Minogue, her vocals meshing effortlessly with Theo’s to create beautiful harmonies. But best of all is “Better than Love”, a synth-laden masterpiece of a song that encapsulates within three minutes everything that makes Hurts a brilliant band. “Happiness” is the 80s pop classic that never was. It chops up Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, Pet Shop Boys, and Duran Duran and blends them together to create a potent electro-pop formula that never fails to produce gorgeous hooks. For a debut album, “Happiness” is remarkably well-crafted and consistent, and its creators are one of the most refreshing and talented new groups in a scene that has long since been stagnant. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but this album is a powerful statement of intent from a band sure to become major players on the world scene.