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Spin - Darren
Hayes
(Singnet, March 31)
In four years, as frontman of
Australian pop duo Savage Garden, Darren Hayes sold an impressive 20 million records
worldwide behind the strength of five smash singles. Then he walked away. On 'Spin', his
debut solo effort, the singer-songwriter validates that decision with resounding
assurance. Darren Hayes has made fans fall truly, madly and deeply for him as a solo
artist. Hayes never wavers from the formula his previous outfit did so well: near-perfect
pop songs backed by lush orchestration and indelibly catchy and sensuous melodies - all
held together by Hayes' gorgeous voice.
His roots in Savage Garden and self-proclaimed influences of artists like Michael Jackson,
are obvious in the new album 'Spin'. The edgy opener, "Strange Relationship",
should immediately quench the thirsts of salivating Savage Garden fans the world over,
while "Creepin' Up On You" blends epic strings with a bouncing house beat.
"Crush (1980 Me)" reinvents '80s club music without sounding dated; and
"Insatiable" rides a beautiful acoustic guitar to balladeer heaven. Some of the
faster pop songs ("Heart Attack"; "Dirty") are very Jacksonesque while
others have a Savage Garden sound ("I Miss You"; "I Can't Ever Get Enough
of You"). "Insatiable", the first single released in the US has a sensual
sound and Latino rhythms which are a new and sexy sound for Hayes.
Darren Hayes' move outside the circle of former group Savage Garden reveals a
singer/songwriter who wants to raise spirits, embrace romance and sexuality, and
unapologetically celebrate '80s pop. "Insatiable" adheres to the gentle sparkle
of previous pop standards "I Knew I Loved You" and "Truly Madly
Deeply," with its creamy, dreamy melody - albeit amped-up lyric - as do the breezy,
gorgeous "I Miss You" and "Like It or Not." But it's in the more
fervent, experimental cuts like "Crush (1980 Me)" and "Dirty" where
Hayes breaks free with whip in hand, snapping listeners to attention with a stack of
steely synthesizers in the foreground - which creates a dramatic contrast to his
ever-harmonic, easy-on-the-ears vocal vibe.
Hayes sounds like he has found a comfortable place to put his 'Spin' on the blacks and
whites of the emotional and musical spectrums, while showcasing his innate ability to
forge melodies that are as colorful and fresh as a rainbow. This is spring pressed on
plastic.
Track Listing
1. Strange Relationship
2. Insatiable
3. Heart Attack
4. I Miss You
5. Creepin' Up On You
6. Dirty
7. Crush (1980 ME)
8. Good Enough
9. I Can't Ever Get Enough Of You
10. Like It Or Not
11. What You Like
12. Spin
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