Tears for Fears have released their new album The Tipping Point, their first new album since the 2004 release Everybody Loves a Happy Ending. It’s always a thrill for me when one of my favorite artists releases new material, but in this case I am ecstatic. It has been far too long without new music from Tears for Fears. Having grown up with their music in the eighties, I loved watching Tears for Fears grow and evolve as artists and constantly surprise and delight their fans with new musical directions while staying true to the essence of their sound.
A few years ago, their former manager had encouraged Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith to work with younger artists and producers in an effort to expose their music to a younger audience and pursue hit singles in this age of streaming. They did some “speed dating” sessions with some of those artists, but when they had assembled an album, Roland and Curt agreed that it wasn’t what they wanted, so they scrapped it. It had what they thought would be hit singles, but the album didn’t tell a story and wasn’t truly representative of what a Tears for Fears album should be. Tears for Fears amicably parted ways with their management and went back to the drawing board.
Roland and Curt got together for a writing session and the song “No Small Thing” emerged. That song was the impetus that convinced them that there was more music to come, and they continued working on other new songs that would become their brilliant new album The Tipping Point. I’m so glad that they stayed true to themselves and created an album that captures the essence of Tears for Fears. I listened to the album twice this weekend and can’t wait to give it another spin. It’s a beautiful work filled with meaningful, insightful lyrics and the trademark Tears for Fears sound and also evolves into new musical directions.
As for the hit singles that their former manager was looking for, The Tipping Point is packed with at least three songs that could be #1 hits if given the proper exposure. “Break The Man,” “Master Plan,” and “End of Night” all have hooks that will have you humming long after the music stops. But more important than hits and hooks, the songs on The Tipping Point carry weight and provide healing and hope for these crazy times.
Paul Sinclair at Super Deluxe Edition recently conducted an in-depth interview with Roland and Curt in which they discuss The Tipping Point. You can read the interview here: https://superdeluxeedition.com/interview/in-search-of-the-tipping-point-tears-for-fears-talk-to-sde/
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