The Herald Sun - Hit Magazine (Australia)
a hayes of glory
feature album
Darren Hayes
This Delicate Thing We've Made
(Powdered Sugar/MGM)
August 23, 2007

Thanks to Deb for the scan!

a hayes of glory
feature album
Darren Hayes
This Delicate Thing We've Made
(Powdered Sugar/MGM)

It's 50 seconds into the epic How to Build a Time Machine that things fall into place.

Darren Hayes is channelling his inner Kate Bush on an audacious but ingenious musical and lyrical step back in time.

With electronic whizbangery and his memory for company, Hayes steers a musical Tardis to document his youth in Brisbane, even watching himself get beaten up by bullies: "I'm meeting myself, this is all so clear."

It's undeniably bonkers, in a way that pop stars are too scared to be these days, but more importantly, undeniably brilliant.

This Delicate Thing We've Made is the album a young Darren Hayes would have bought, and the album that the group-up version he's been threatening to make for years.

He had to quit the world's biggest record label to do so, funding this double album himself. That passion at any cost (not just financial) make this the kind of album pop stars don't - aren't allowed - to make any more.

Sure it's be a killer single album (probably the one his old record company wanted all along) but everything here has it's place.

He's battled the balladeer tag for years. Now, as a DIY pop star, Hayes can let himself go.

He can swing from the sweeping and sublime to Depeche Mode-style goth pop of Who Would have Thought (written with Guy chambers) to a scarily accurate impression of Prince on Me Myself & (I) and even Prince's helium-voiced alter-ego Camille on Bombs Up In My Face.

The global-hit-in-waiting Casey is an jaw-droppingly catchy as any Savage Garden single the produce of someone weaned on top-shelf '80's pop. It also has heart and warmth, something electro pop often bypasses.

Step Into The Light is dance with depth, Neverland channels Bush again (circa Army Dreamers). Tender ballad I Just Want Yo To Love Me comes 21 songs in, an belated payoff if anyone is still waiting for a new Truly Madly Deeply.

Smart, exciting and brave pop music made by a fan of smart, exciting and brave pop music - this may be his own personal masterpiece.

The verdict: **** (4 stars)
In a word: bold

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