“Songs for a Nervous Planet” - Tears for Fears Album Review

The desire to rule the world has not stopped for Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Tears for Fears finds itself in the recording studio yet again with the anticipated new wave album, "Songs for a Nervous Planet."

Whether the audience finds it funny or finds it kind of sad, this album gives fans what they have been waiting for since the band’s last installment.

The new songs consist of “Say Goodbye to Mom and Dad,” “The Girl I Call Home,” “Emily Said” and “Astronaut.” Each song steps into the artist's shoes for their look on the world.

The techno beats and classic guitars really give the fans the classic sound they know and love. Laying of harmonic vocals with the band's unique sound installments allows the listener to feel sung to instead of sung at.

“Say Goodbye to Mom and Dad” includes a whistled melody that gives the listener a jovial feeling of childhood.

“The Girl that I Call Home” contains a clash of drum and bass beats with banjo and mandolin. This duel adds a great contrast ready to get stuck in the listeners' ears.

“Emily Said” adds the softer sounds of a children’s choir, which paired with the title, convey the memories of picking up lessons through life. The inclusion of the live recordings gives the audience the feeling of being there.

Some may not enjoy live recordings, but in this case, it gives the chance to hear the classics in a brand new way. The heartier vocals and the ad-libbing of instruments give each song a new meaning.

The album focuses on the feeling of alienation or not belonging. This can be seen on the album cover. The astronaut surrounded by sunflowers is an homage to the classic “Tears for Fear” with ties to the future.

The fans showed skepticism about the album’s art being Artificially generated, but the band’s choices were centered around the changing times and searching for the unknown. Either way, the surreal art gives more meaning to the album rather than just the songs.

Although this is a new album, it only contained four new songs. The rest of the album was a live recording from their performance in Franklin, Tennessee.

Since their start in 1981, the band has conjured many hits over the years. A majority of their songs have motifs of longing for more or the fear of what is next.

The new songs deal heavily with the feats of mankind. One of those being death. The artist gives an interpretation of life after the loss of a parent.

Overall, the album was decent. The lack of new music was slightly disappointing, but the inclusion of live music can tide over the bitterness. The signature sound the band has created was included.

It was an overall good experience listening to this album. The aged vocals play nicely with the overall metaphor the band longed for.

The only expectation that may not have been met would be the inclusion of more songs. When looking in at the band, fans are just happy that the album contains the original duo.

This excitement was reached when hearing melodies that can only be created by “Tears for Fears.” With Smith and Orzabal both being 63, it is slightly surprising that they are still making music. With the estranged relationship that they have had over the years, fans love to see them working together again and on decent terms.

Rating: 8/10

Reviewer’s favorite song: “The Girl that I Call Home”

Reviewer’s least favorite song: “Astronaut”

Scott Moorhead is a fifth year majoring in communications. To contact him, email srm5943@psu.edu