How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Average
Value for Money
Excellent
Advantages:
Some beautiful love songs
Disadvantages:
Some tracks just didn't work
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
After a few rather controversial moments over the past twelve months, from the rather unexpected civil service to partner Richard Cullen to the supposed racially motivated verbal attack in a Thai restaurant (the claim has been vigorously denied by Darren Hayes and his lawyer), it seems that the previously successful Australian artist was being trusted into the showbiz spotlight for his private life rather than his music!
Being a fan of the man himself since the days of Savage Garden, it may surprise you to learn that I wasn't really bothered about his latest album, 'This Delicate Thing We've Made'. After hearing the first single from the double disk compilation, 'On the Verge of Something Wonderful', I wasn't over struck; I could very much take or leave the whole thing.
Then came my Brother's birthday. Like me, he was a huge fan of this albums predecessor, 'The Tension And The Spark' with its raw, honest lyrics to edgier music style, it is one of my personal favourite albums. But - unlike me - he was eager to give this offering a try. However, after one listen to the first CD, he declared that he wouldn't be bothered about listening to it ever again.
Oh no!
Deciding that the statement was perhaps a little harsh, and being someone who is quite a critical person when it comes to music, I decided to give 'This Delicate Thing We've Made' a try, despite my fears that this album wouldn't be a scratch on the last.
Like I said, it was a double disk set, something that people can either take as being highly pretentious or good value for money - there's a thought now you decide!
The twenty-five tracks are as followed:
CD 1: 1) 'A Fear of Falling Under' 2) 'Who Would Have Thought' 3) 'Waking the Monster' 4) 'How to Build a Time Machine' 5) 'Casey' 6) 'Step Into The Light' 7) 'Sing To Me' 8) 'A Conversation With God' 9) 'The Sun Is Always Blinding Me' 10) 'Listen All You People' 11) 'The Only One' 12) 'Bombs Up In My Face' 13) 'The Great Big Disconnect'
CD 2: 1) 'The Future Holds a Lion's Heart' 2) 'On The Verge of Something Wonderful' 3) 'Neverland' 4) 'Walk Away' 5) 'Maybe' 6) 'Me, Myself and (I)' 7) 'Lucky Town' 8) 'I Just Want You To Love Me' 9) 'Setting Sun' 10) 'A Hundred Challenging Things a Boy Can Do' 11) 'Words' 12) 'The Tuning of Violins'
One of the first things I noticed were the number of tracks including a reference to light; 'The Tension And The Spark' was very much an album about contrast between light and dark, good and bad kinds of love.
But how would this album compare?
CD 1: 1) A Fear of Falling Under (4.09 minutes)
Starting the first album off was a track co-written by a gentleman called Justin Shave, who had previously toured with Darren on the 'Big Night In' events. To me, 'A Fear of Falling Under', was a completely and utterly forgettable track. The first song is just as important as the last; it's the beginning that's meant to keep you hooked and - most importantly - want to listen to the rest of the CD. However, this just didn't work for me; I found the lyrics a little confusing, as if I couldn't see exactly where Darren was coming from both musically or lyrically, something I'd hardly ever not experienced with his music.
Marks out of 10: 7 - on paper, not a bad opener but to listen to it was just not thrilling enough to me to be an opening track of a double disk compilation.
2) Who Would Have Thought (4.30 minutes)
Written with Robbie Williams' former collaborator, Guy Chambers, 'Who Would Have Thought' is a track that I recognised after appearing on Darren Hayes' official myspace page. Following the traditional formula to his angsty love songs, this is a track that I rated a lot higher than the opener; the song evolved logically with lyrics that I think a lot of people would be able to relate to because of the manner in which they were written; very honest and heart felt. Musically, I felt it was a lot better too with edgy electronic keyboard sounds and base drums, it was more enjoyable to listen to and certainly one to make you more curious about the album ahead. From this point on, I was almost eager to discover the path Darren would take me on, in terms of the progression of sound and lyrics.
Marks out of 10: 8 - A song that I think would have fared better as a first single.
3) Waking The Monster (4.07 minutes)
This song is possibly the most adventurous story teller that Darren has attempted. Although sounding a bit like Bart Simpson on Helium, he tells the tale of an apprentice science professor, eagerly awaiting what his master is inventing. Although not being let in on the secret, he soon loses his patience before finding out for himself exactly what is going on. Although I did like the idea of looking outside the box into a person of a different profession, I did feel that the song wore a bit thin and didn't tell the story perhaps as well unless you were reading the actual lyrics with it. The hasty vocals of 'Gotta know, gotta see', made it slightly irritating to listen to for me, as if he was taking on the persona of an obnoxiously impatient child on Christmas Eve.
Marks out of 10: 6.5 - would have been good if the vocals were a little more palatable.
4) How To Build A Time Machine (5.51 minutes)
This track starts with a wonderfully soft guitar riff and my ears instantly pricked up. That was until Darren started singing. Bringing back dreadful memories of GCSE Physics lessons, with the velocity equation thrown in for good measure, that irritated me; I found it completely out of place with the music its self. The problem then became with the desperate attempt at re-creating the song 'Crush (1980 Me)' from his first solo album 'Spin' with the mismatched electronic sounds made via a synthesiser. Again, when you take the lyrics away from the song, you are witness to beautifully painful memories from Darren's childhood where he was bullied, right until his Father's death. Although the concept of going back in time with the use of a machine and being able to change the future for the better is interesting and a good topic for a song, I felt that the juxtaposition of the cheerful tune and the rather tragic lyrics was just to great.
Marks out of 10: 6 - the music and lyrics just didn't fuse to make this song as good as it could have been.
5) Casey (6.26 minutes)
This is another track which starts off brilliantly; I loved the orchestral, violin beginning which gradually moved to Darren's instrument of choice, the synthesiser. However, I did find the dance type beats here to be a little annoying and once again distracting from the story telling process. I'm not a fan of dance music by any stretch of the imagination, which is possibly the biggest flaw this album has for me personally. This song is simply written about the loss of a former love, Darren trying to turn the loss into a memory rather than regret. Although nicely sung and I did enjoy the use of string instruments, I just felt that the song lacked depth; on a second listen, I did find that it dragged on for far too long.
Marks out of 10: 6.5 - the lyrics were a bit too repetitive in places.
6) Step into the Light (4.57 minutes)
I love the classical sounding piano at the beginning of this song. With gentle vocals inviting you into the track, the words transported me very much back to 'Darkness' from 'The Tension and the Spark', despite this song being much more up beat. I personally liked the rhetorical questions that were expressed, as well as the slightly darker words that described how the singer was feeling. I think that this song is one where he very much bared his soul; 'I've never been in love before' was sung with such conviction, that you could plainly see the journey Darren wanted to take you on and the range of emotions he wanted to express at this time.
Marks out of 10: 8 - sung amazingly well without going over the top or cheesy, this one was very clear to me.
7) Sing to Me (4.56 minutes)
A main issue that I found with his first solo effort 'Spin' was that many of the songs next to each other sounded almost identical. This track, unfortunately, sounds very much similar to 'Step into the Light'. Written presumably about another loss of love, trying to block their memories from your mind, this one is about the desperation of trying to forget someone - or something - but being unable to. The tune didn't really stand out to me at all, it just came across as very generic and I felt that the lyrics were just a continuation of the previous song. However, some of the imagery is very effective; 'you step behind a curtain, in a moment you're gone'.
Marks out of 10: 7 - not as good as 'Step into the Light' but definitely not a bad track either.
8) A Conversation with God (5.08 minutes)
When I first saw the name to this song, I was instantly curious, thinking about Darren's now openly gay relationship. Perhaps not spoken from his own point of view, you may expect this song to be by someone who's been experiencing near death experiences or personal problems and loss of faith and even identity. The idea of God's voice being 'laced with sarcasm' may go against the grain but I found that perspective to be very different and certainly not conventional. The tune, I have to admit, did sound a bit like one of the ring tone's from my first ever mobile phone but other than that, I found this track more enjoyable than most with a great story.
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - if the tune was better, it would have been a brilliant track.
9) The Sun is Always Blinding Me (4.24 minutes)
The immediate impression that I got when listening to the ninth track was that the tune sounded vaguely familiar; it sounded vastly similar to a song I remember from the 1980's, although I can't quite put my finger on it. I think the reason why this song works a lot better than many of the tracks from this CD is that the tune isn't too over powering; the gentle drums and synthesizers really allow for the thoughtful and extremely descriptive lyrics to come to life, rather than drowning them. The only problem that I could think of whilst listening to this is, that there wasn't one point in the song that really stood out as the music and Darren's voice more or less staying at the same pace and volume all the way through. However, I really liked it because it wasn't over worked.
Marks out of 10: 8 - there was a danger that this song could have dragged on but thankfully it didn't. Without a doubt, the song would have been ruined in its simplicity by then.
10) Listen All You People (5.00 minutes)
This was, in my view, Darren's idea of a feel good, optimistic track which came out more cheesy than Gorgonzola! Perhaps that was a little strong but I did feel that it was very corny and very much an album filler rather than a serious singles contender. To me, the tune didn't stand out to anything else he'd really attempted for this album which is probably when we needed it most. This song is very much about someone, when you feel alone, deserted or generally down hearted, that there is always someone there for you, in spite of what you think. This is perhaps semi-autobiographical, with Darren referring to 'queers' and to someone who has cost themselves a lot of time writing 'love lists'.
Marks out of 10: 6.5 - I could see where Darren was coming from with this but failed to really grow fond of it.
11) The Only One (3.42 minutes)
You do get the sense that this one was indeed written for Richard Cullen. On the track 'So Beautiful', realised in conjunction with the 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' Savage Garden Collection, Darren talks about leaving his cynicism to another world, a view he chose to express once again here. I think this song is accessible to anyone who has found 'The One'; when they feel ridiculously down because of others and the world around them, there is only one person who could possibly make it right. The tune was tender and suited the lyrics well.
Marks out of 10: 9 - a triumph for the real emotion Darren is wearing on his sleeve for all to see.
12) Bombs Up In My Face (3.39 minutes)
Oh dear. Just when you think the compilation might be turning a corner, you certainly get some bombs up in your face! The vocals, mixed and dubbed to sound like a character from South Park, really destroyed every bit of good intention this track may have held. Reminding me of the title track from his debut solo album 'Spin', Darren is really hitting out at the media here, expressing his distain for airbrush models and even talking about the President who 'F***ed the world up for every future boy and girl'!. I do like the sniping of the lyrics, Darren even choosing to mock those who disapprove of same sex Unions. However, the tune was overbearingly fake, another boring dance type track and I felt that - when he wasn't singing like a South Park character - he sounded like a poor Michael Jackson impersonator!
Marks out of 10: 6.5 - the lyrics were superbly written and dangerous but the tune was just dire!
13) The Great Big Disconnect (4.17 minutes)
Choosing to continue his theme of pushing the political census, the final track on the first disk is just as much critical of the world as the last. This time though - thankfully - the vocals and tune were toned right down to really allow you to appreciate what he was saying and the message he was trying to get across; the world is going crazy because we are all so self obsessed with image and possessions rather than real issues like people dying of AIDS in Africa. Whilst I agree completely with what he was saying, I really felt Darren undermined many of his own songs when he sung 'So write another love song and pretend there's nothing wrong'. Hmmm...
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - perhaps a little to hypercritical? Or just ironic?
Well, with that being the end of the first disk, I have to say that Mr. Hayes has offered a very mixed bag so far with there being some very good and some very mediocre songs thrown together.
Perhaps disk two has a better mix?
CD2: 1) The Future Holds A Lion's Heart (4.02 minutes)
The steady piano melody combined with rough drums sets quite a dramatic turn for this track. Once again, Darren's vocals have been muffled a little, perhaps made a little higher, I honestly didn't like this song when I listened to it first time round; I felt it was too over produced. I'm still unsure of whether I really like this track or not. Compared with some songs on the last CD, I would have to say it was quite a step forward but I just couldn't shake off the feeling that some of the sounds seemed familiar - from a Sonic game I played more than ten years ago! The lyrics, I have to say, are very catchy and is one of the most sing-along friendly songs produced for 'This Delicate Thing We've Made'.
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - some dodgy melodies in there but nothing too appalling!
2) On the Verge of Something Wonderful (4.02 minutes)
I can understand completely why this was the first single from either CD; 'On The Verge of Something Wonderful' is very up beat and quite up tempo and would attract some new fans, I would expect anyway. Darren's vocals are recognisable because of their amazing versatility. I wasn't too struck when I first heard this song but since then, I've appreciated what Darren was getting at; enjoy the beauty that surrounds you and not to get too tied down with depressing events because everything will turn out alright. Although this didn't do too well in the charts, getting to #20 in the UK and #29 in his homeland of Australia, I do think that it's a lot better than most current singles out there.
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - It's grown on me.
3) Neverland (4.03 minutes)
Reminding me a little of Panic! At the Disco's 'I Write Sins, Not Tragedies', the tune does create a fantasy type world full of wonder and awe. Darren controls his voice very well here which, in terms of vocal, is a good performance. He is describing the imagination of a child and perhaps a little envy of how their spirit can instantly change themselves from being sad to happy through their own dreams. However, with the line 'should I smash his face?' when talking about making a hammer, there is a feeling of how easy innocence can be lost. I think it's also talking about the transition from childhood to the teenage years where a boy can start to learn about violence.
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - the tune gets stuck firmly in your head!
4) Walk Away (4.46 minutes)
Knowing a little about Darren away from the music, I know that there was a time when he was desperately unhappy and angry. A lot of this anger was channelled in his phenomenal last album 'The Tension and the Spark'. However, I was glad when I listened to this track that some of those feelings were still yet to be resolved through song. 'Walk Away' is marginally epic, as if Darren's inner self - or in fact, who ever is feeling weak - is urging the person to carry on and to steer clear of the trauma in life. The line 'this man became a boy' to me felt simplistic but very real and, complete with Darren's gospel like backing vocals, this was a real winner on this album.
Marks out of 10: 9 - one of the gems on here in which Darren really does express a lot of powerful emotions.
5) Maybe (4.15 minutes)
This song started on a similar piano card as the single 'So Beautiful' which I liked immediately. I always thinking that Darren's voice works incredibly well when it's just him and a piano with very little else surrounding it; it was one of my all time favourite concert moments on the occasions when I have seen him live. The lyrics are a little depressing but also calmly reflective. Knowing that 'This Delicate Thing We've Made' is dedicated to Richard Cullen and his late Mother, I'm guessing this track is written about the latter. I always thought that Hayes was at his most fascinating but vulnerable when writing the darker tracks, something I personally like because the emotions he offers in those situations are so much stronger.
Marks out of 10: 8.5 - beautifully sad.
6) Me, Myself and (I) (4.05 minutes)
After two gorgeous piano tracks, we are taken back to a crummy dance mix. Doing his best Tina Turner impression, I really didn't like this one as soon as it started. Admittedly, it would be pretty hard to follow up the last couple of songs without doing one of exactly the same standard but this one just sounded terribly weak. There is a mention of that time machine again and, with Darren's attempt at rapping, I'm not in favour of this one; the words are just feeble with the tune being even worse.
Marks out of 10: 4.5 - nothing more than something to fill the album up with. I can't believe it's going to be released as a second single! What a strangely poor decision!
7) Lucky Town (3.50 minutes)
By this point, I had the feeling that it was the beginning of the end; I was getting a little tired of the dancey, over produced tunes and synthesizers and wished for something different. Unfortunately, this track just didn't give the uniqueness I was hoping for. The lyrics are very broad, as if you have literally heard it a thousand times before and the tune reminds me of something that faded boy band Blue would have done. Actually quite dull.
Marks out of 10: 5 - a song that I wouldn't have expected Darren to produce as I've heard what he is capable of before; something so much more than this standard, 'trying to get my lost love back' song.
8) I Just Want You To Love Me (4.00 minutes)
I'm glad that 'I Just Want You To Love Me' went back to my expectation of being a love song with a beautiful, soft piano melody and wonderfully affectionate vocals. With the tune being as delicate as it was, it really allowed you to explore the song and to really enjoy Darren's raw musical abilities that are becoming so polished with those types of love songs. 'I don't want to lie about what's inside' could be self autobiographical and shows another honest side to his song writing.
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - perhaps the lyrics are slightly repetitive but I thought they were subtly powerful because of this. Certainly one of the more memorable tracks.
9) Setting Sun (4.12 minutes)
This to me was a little bit of a poorer version of the song 'I like the Way' from Darren's last album. This was maybe the only time on the album where I liked the producers fiddling around with his vocals; there was a very unusual, husky quality coming from the song that I don't think I've ever heard from Hayes before. The tune was a little tedious though and it seemed like you never got to the point where the song came alive. I do think that this song is about letting go of the past and moving on, the sun being a metaphor for the light may seem like it's fading but it will always rise again, just like you as a person.
Marks out of 10: 7.5 - the melody could have made this song a real killer track. But it didn't.
10) A Hundred Challenging Things A Boy Can Do (5.01 minutes)
Listening to the tragic lyrics and the warmth in which Hayes sings this, you can just tell that this is dedicated to the Late Mrs. Cullen. This one is possibly the most depressing yet inspiring song from both disks; although someone close leaves you, there is always so much that you can give to others and that others can give back to you. I loved the arrangement of the music and - for once - it seems that the drums and bass of this track didn't dominate over the lyrics! The faint muttering also adds a different dimension to the song, separating it from other ballads on the album.
Marks out of 10: 8.5 - although sad, a striking message to anyone in emotional pain.
11) Words (4.34 minutes)
'Words' is an updated, much better version of the song 'I Can Never Get Enough of You' from Darren's first solo album. I originally didn't like that track from 'Spin' but 'Words' does bare some remarkable similarities in terms of melodies and Darren's all over vocal performance being controlled yet moving. From a personal point of view, I do consider this to be one of Hayes' strongest lyrical presentation ever; 'I see a Bible, I see a Bible in your eyes, all those codes and hidden meanings, full of metaphor and something for the faithless in me'.
Marks out of 10: 9 - breath takingly gorgeous.
12) The Tuning of Violins (4.30 minutes)
Going back to some of the classical sounding string performances that I enjoyed on 'Casey', the compilation ends on a much more upbeat and positive note. 'The Tuning of Violins', this is a lovers dream and another Darren Hayes song that I can see being popular at weddings. Although this wasn't one of my favourites, I'm glad that the album ended on an optimistic note with a track that I think would leave a good taste in the mouths of many listeners. Once again, Darren's voice made perhaps a very ordinary song into something a little bit special.
Marks out of 10: 8 - simple but very effective.
After listening to both disks, I found it very hard to decide which one I preferred; both offered some very good, very average or very meagre songs along the way. If I had to lean towards one disk, it might just be disk 2 because of 'Walk Away' and 'Words' both being on the verge of exceptional.
In terms of the album cover and design, the first thing I picked up on was how different the artwork here was than on any other Darren Hayes albums, including 'Savage Garden' and 'Affirmation' from his SG days. The front cover loses its almost boy bandish appeal; instead of boasting a picture of the man himself, the black background came to life with an origami type picture of a bird held carefully in an almost mechanical hand. I loved the colours chosen by Hayes and his team here; teals and purples mixed with whites really made this cover stand out from many others on the market, at least to me.
Flipping over to the back of the case is a picture of Darren submerged in water holding a camera to his face. I thing that the pictures and graphics for this album are quite stunning and obviously took a long time to set up or post produce. There us a great juxtaposition here of a classical, very smart look Darren is choosing as well as futuristic elements. I think that the photography fit's the mood of the album very well and - although seemingly quite expensive looking - I think it just finishes the albums appearance off in style.
One thing that always bugs me if they aren't included is the fact that the song lyrics went haywire. When listening to an album for the very first time, I like the words by me to follow the songs a little easier. In my opinion, the lyrics were required her because some of the time, it is a little difficult to understand or to hear what Hayes is singing about.
I love the bright colours of the disks though, the first CD being bright, mint green and the second a bold purple as they really stand out well and look very attractive against the black cover.
One major issue I have here is how rubbish the actual storage case is; one flimsy piece of plastic is not secure enough for two disks. The claws to hold the CD to the centre have already broken on the second disk - I hope that it doesn't get too badly scratched! I know for a fact that the case hasn't been thrown about since we owned it. The case barely shuts which is quite an inconvenience.
Considering this is a new, double disk album, I don't consider the price of 'This Delicate Thing We've Made' to be too bad at all:
Quick Statistics: Released: 20th August 2007 in the US, UK and Australia Record Label: Powdered Sugar Length of albums: CD 1 - 61.12 minutes, CD 2 - 51.24 minutes Best tracks: 'The Only One', ''Walk Away', 'Words' Worst tracks: 'Me, Myself, and (I)', 'Lucky Town'.
I would recommend this to anyone who has been a fan of Darren Hayes or who likes dances enthused pop music. However, I will warn those of you who, like myself, love diversity, this album can be a little too bland in places.
One thing that I was hoping for from this album was another evolution since the brilliant 'Tension and the Spark;. Unfortunately, I don't think we got that this time and, although I always love Darren's love songs and the way he can word his feelings so vividly and uniquely, I think that a double disk album perhaps swayed a little on the pretentious side for me.
With there being little variance in a lot of the tracks, I was a little disappointed with this CD. If you listen to the tracks individually, I think that it is a lot easier to appreciate them. However, clumped together on a couple of disks, I don't think many of them have had justice done to them.
What a shame but still not a bad effort; just not on the verge of something too wonderful.
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Average
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Outstanding
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