English pop-rock band Tears for Fears, consisting of lead singer and bass guitarist Curt Smith and guitarist and songwriter Roland Orzabal, released its new album “Songs For A Nervous Planet” on Oct. 25.
The album contains four new tracks: “Say Goodbye To Mum & Dad,” “The Girl That I Call Home,” “Emily Said” and “Astronaut,” along with 18 live performances of their most popular songs.
“Say Goodbye To Mum & Dad” and “Astronaut” are excellent Tears for Fears songs, with “Astronaut” sounding like it came from their 1985 album, “Songs From The Big Chair,” and “Say Goodbye To Mum And Dad” having a touching theme relating to the passing of Orzabal’s first wife. However, the songs “The Girl That I Call Home” and “Emily Said” are definitely the weakest of the four, with little variation throughout the songs.
These songs are a solid addition to Tears for Fears’ already strong discography, rating “Songs For A Nervous Planet” with eight out of ten paws.
“Say Goodbye To Mum And Dad” is lyrically about how you shouldn’t hide your grief or pain, and that you should face it head on, never letting it control you. In the lyrics, Smith sings, “It’s no life, this island of fear / When tomorrow comes, we’ll brave the wild frontier.” He is telling listeners that isolating yourself in your pain is not a life you should live.
These lyrics work flawlessly with the lush guitar and synthesizers to create a bittersweet soundscape that perfectly fits the theme of the song.
Smith’s vocals are also strong, with the solemnity yet hopefulness in his voice that helps to convey the message of the lyrics and giving it greater impact.
“The Girl That I Call Home” is a love letter to Orzabal’s second wife, with him telling her that she is a beacon of light to help him through his grief over his first wife’s untimely passing.
The lyrics of the chorus, however, ended up sounding AI-generated: “Princes adore you / They cower before you.” However, the verses are less clumsy, with the lyrics being aided by the strong percussion and the sparse guitar parts that create a great sounding background for the vocals.
Orzabal’s vocals are at times uninspired, but they definitely ramp up in emotion during the chorus. His tone matches the theme of the song well.
“Emily Said” is the weakest song out of the four. It lyrically speaks about how people are there for you when you’re in pain or grieving. The lyrics are obscure and sound AI-generated as well, such as, “Ain’t this the sweetest life / No pain or human sacrifice / Just you and me and strawberry skies.”
The instrumentation on “Emily Said” is also the weakest. At times the instruments sound muddled together, but otherwise the instrumentation is solid. The quick, stabbing synth riffs in the verses give the song a momentum that it definitely needs.
The vocals, sung by Smith, are one-dimensional and have little variation, but they do fit the song. There is a part during the song where children sing, and it does not fit whatsoever. Without it, the song would be much better.
The final song, “Astronaut,” is a huge step above compared to “Emily Said.” The lyrics speak about finding solace in loneliness, and the metaphor of Orzabal being an astronaut is used to convey this idea. Orzabal uses this metaphor efficiently, such as with the lyrics, “I got one eye on a different world / And if I get stuck there / Well I won’t care.”
The vocals are great on this track, with the verses sounding like a quiet admission to the listener and the chorus sounding like Smith is telling the whole world how he feels.
From the separated piano chords in the intro, to the otherworldly synths, the instruments in “Astronaut” create a spacey sound that matches the theme of the song and creates extra depth.
The four new songs that Tears for Fears have released are solid additions to their discography, despite their shortcomings.
