Tallinn is ready for the wonderful life of Hurts

TALLINN - The musical environment is full of surprises, and one can clearly state that only those who change are able to last. While some acts pay attention to the future and its technologies, other performers decide to look back, and take what has already been created for granted. Progress happens, regardless, and today the world is witnessing how the circle of music changes once again. This is what the world can say about the right sensations of 2011, in the form of the musical band Hurts. Changing musical tunes, Hurts has reanimated a different thinking in music, and now they are ready to implement this thinking by performing their concert in Tallinn on Oct. 14.

Formed in 2009, Hurts is based on the singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson. Their collaboration can be dated back to 2005, when they met for the first time. Their partnership resulted in the band Bureau, along with three other members. Changes followed soon after, renaming the band Daggers and replacing one member of the band. This turned out to not be the best solution, and Daggers split up in 2009. Now, revived as the duo of Hurts, the two slowly built up their audience. This time, fruits of their work are richer than before. The single “Wonderful Life” became an international hit, and suddenly everyone wanted to know what Hurts were. They told this, releasing “Stay,” the song which let them remain at the peak of the mountain. Next to their singles and album “Happiness,” Hurts enjoys awards and honors, such as the NME Award as the best new band of 2011, and the fans’ choice of the best Glastonbury performance in 2011, outshining the likes of Beyonce, U2 and Coldplay.

While the band becomes more and more popular each day, there are some comments which need to be noted. Despite the success of Hurts, the music they introduce is not quite top of the list in popular music. It will be hardly enough to note the computer’s magical hand, which is usually helping dance tracks and other typical pop tunes. Obviously, this is what stands out – Hurts performs with their duo attitude, accompanied by the synthesizer. There is no room for being traditional in terms of today’s popular music. They take a step back and indicate that the musical “grass” was probably greener in the past, when songs survived depending on their emotions, rather than on the stage design. Hurts lets us relive this moment again through their pieces, which are fairly called “sensational.”

However, not only melodic arrangements have driven the band to where it is. Hurts is also praised for their lyrics. Yet the texts simply ground their overall understanding in music. With the easily remembered lines of “Stay” and “Wonderful Life,” which attract with the common truths of a lifetime, Hurts also presents deeply philosophical rhymes in “Illuminated,” creating separate meanings for everyone. This is what makes them truly original. Moreover, this is what puts them on the intellectual shelf of music, above many industry giants which rely on quantity, not quality.

Finally, there is a space that is left for the interpretation of Hurts or, better said, time to adjust to their style of music. The hardest point possibly is to find a connection, as the experiences differ just as much as musical tastes do. These points can be various – lyrics, arrangements, personal competence, crowd instinct and so on. When it is found, Hurts appears in a completely different light! We have a tough question to answer if Hurts can be today’s obsession for those who search for new breezes in music. The best way to find out is to attend the concert. In the meantime, Hurts shapes their own “Enlightenment” and, seemingly, they do it well enough.

Before the concert in Tallinn, Hurts will also perform in Kaunas at Zalgiris Arena on Oct. 12.

Ticket information can be found on www.bilietupasaulis.lt and www.piletilevi.ee