Hurts: 'Wonderful Life'

While Hurts may be enjoying success overseas, the UK has thus far remained staunchly on the fence. Their debut single failed to set the charts alight, charting at a criminally low #50, but then again, when you're in the business of carving out your own musical niche rather than piggy-backing on others, everything can take a bit longer. Thankfully it's full steam ahead with the Mancunian duo's next release.. and boy what a track it is.

Over noirishly simmering synths, frontman Theo Hutchcraft tells the story of a suicidal man saved from jumping off the Severn Bridge by the strike of love at first sight. The rest, quite frankly, speaks for itself. Classy video? Check. Haunting vocals? You got 'em. Epic instrumental breakdown two-thirds of the way through? Seriously, it's all here. On paper they could be accused of simply hopping on the 80's revival bandwagon, but Hurts are in fact on the cusp of igniting modern British synth-pop in an original and altogether more intelligent manner. Fence-sitters, it's time for your move please.


> Click here to watch the 'Wonderful Life' video