WORTH A LOOK?: ****

Duo Roland Orzabal, born in Portsmouth, and Curt Smith toured in 2019 when we saw them at London’s 02 Arena but this is the band’s 1st new single for 13 years.

• Read on for reasons including everything we know about new album The Tipping Point

It’s the title track of their new album out early next year and sits alongside 1 track, Stay, which made 2017’s Rule The World: Greatest Hits without being released as a single.

When we saw the band live 2 years ago we said: ‘There are plenty of opportunities for loo breaks during the curiously paced set which seems to alternate a classic with back catalogue fodder best lost down the back of a sofa.’

The good news is that, although The Tipping Point takes a while to grow, repeat listens do reward the listener revealing a complicated guitar-based track ornamented by seemingly many other instruments which builds into something really quite moving.

Once you know that Orzabal’s wife Caroline died of natural causes in 2017 it’s hard not to see references in the lyrics here, whether intentional or not, including: ‘You know that I can’t love you more’ and perhaps even: ‘Who’s that ghost knocking on my door?’

The band initially found fame in the 80s and their sad boys with synthesisers groove proved hugely influential on much of the current day’s sad boys with guitars rock music that is now so popular.

The 13-track album is released on 25 February and is the band’s 7th studio album a full 39 years after the album that broke them, their debut The Hurting.

Tickets for 1 festival date in 2022 are currently on sale with more dates expected to be announced soon.

• Picture by via Facebook courtesy Tears For Fears Tickets UPDATE: New UK and US dates added
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