Tears For Fears are one of those bands, poisoned by association with that most terrible of decades, the '80s, that desperately deserve at least reappraisal, if not complete rehabilitation. Sure, their fondness for the grandiose and lush dates them somewhat, but at the core of the band was a gifted and original mind, a songwriter with enormous ambitions for his music that, more often than not, were fulfilled in spades. 'Songs From The Big Chair' in particular now sounds like a classic of its time, immaculate pop like 'Shout' and 'Head Over Heels' still working their magic fifteen years later.
Those fifteen years haven't exactly been a doddle for Roland Orzabal, though. When partner Curt Smith left during 'The Seeds Of Love', it shouldn't have made any odds to either the band's sound - his input was minimal - or their success. But '...Seeds...' showed that Smith did at least help to curb Orzabal's more ponderous tendencies; without him, the record became overboiled and occasionally unrewarding listening. Next album 'The Elemental', though clearly cut from similar cloth to the previous two, lacked the pop flair for which the band were best loved, and did very badly. The least said about 1995's Sony release 'Raoul And The Kings Of Spain', the better.
Which brings us here. Though the last two Tears For Fears albums were solo recordings, this is the first time he's released a record under his own name. Having produced 'Love In The Time Of Science' for Emiliana Torrini, he claims to have found new inspiration, and put this record together. At the same time, he's being very low key, eager to stress that this is not a typical Tears For Fears grand statement, just a collection of songs, no biggie.
And he's right. 'Tomcats...' is a fresher, more enjoyable record than 'Raoul...' and 'Elemental' because it doesn't seem expected to express any deep and inherent truths; it's just some songs. The use of drum'n'bass rhythms, and a deep debt to Orbital, are a touch worrying at first, but Orzabal clearly understands how and why they work, so they never feel bolted on. And sure enough, some of his pop sensibility has returned in the process, making 'Tomcats...' a very accessible record.
For many Tears For Fears devotees, the fact that this album lacks Orzabal's trademark soul searching and ponderousness may be a disappointment; but to the rest of us he's climbed out of a rut.
