Darren Hayes - Secret Codes And Battleships
Darren Hayes has returned with his first record in four years, and it's an album that will add further longevity to an already impressive career.
Raising to prominance with Savage Garden, Hayes described Secret Codes And Battleships as a pop album, comparing it to the duo's debut record.
In our interview, he spoke of his ambition to create an album as a piece of art, a cohesive body of work.
It's an aim he's undoubtedly achieved across a well-crafted, consistent addition to his brilliant back catalogue.
At its heart, Secret Codes And Battleships is a wonderful celebration of pop music, proving that the genre isn't just plagued by the likes of The Wanted or Cher Lloyd.
The album isn't without it's weaker moments - the lyrics on 'Nearly Love' will make you cringe, although it's catchy in spite of this.
Instrumentally, Hayes has created a highly sophisticated record, carried by pop sensibilities but strengthened by an added depth missing from a lot of the genres more mainstream acts.
The strings on tracks like new single 'Black Out The Sun' are arranged well and add to the track, rather than feeling forced and detracted from the quality.
Secret Codes And Battleships is a record that excells in the instrumentation and melody rather than a deep lyrical content suggested by titles like 'God Walking Into The Room'.
The latter is a beautiful love song, although it continues an unfortunate trend of less-than-steller lyrics.
However, what can't be denied is that it's certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the dirge of boy-bands and X Factor pop acts breaking through - indeed, 'Hurt' is a wonderfully deep, honest insight into Hayes' mind.
This is a veteran continuing an admirable career with another fantastic record.
Whether it will be knocking on the door of any end of year lists remains to be seen, as it often feels less diverse than it perhaps should.
Regardless, any criticisms aimed at the album would be minor in comparison to the quality on display here, as Darren Hayes puts out yet another great full-lenghth.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge
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