Ok so everyone (well, actually, pretty much just the people who do the reviews on this site) knows that Vol. I and II by Hurt were fucking amazing, like with some of the best non-metal songs ever, and a couple which are awesome even in the scale of all songs, EVER. This is the most recent album by Hurt and by the general nature of most bands it SHOULD theoretically be getting bad, it doesn't help that they're also starting to appeal to a more mainstream audience. So what's my verdict on it?
Well, to start there is a definite change. Anger, even if expressed in a quiet manner, is a lot less frequent and this can be annoying if it is the incredibly deep stuff you're after. General musical quality, however, is very much present and there is a great mix of acoustic riffs and heavier, bluesy sounds ('1331', 'Got Jealous'). The songs vary a lot so it's not really an album that fades into the background and makes it easy for your attention to wander, maybe except for the last songs. It's a definite move forward for the band, and although the darker songs from their first two records might be missed it's good that they're not an entirely doom-and-gloom band, and seeing as that type of sound can easily become monotonously dry after too many albums this is a refreshing change.
The new stuff definitely sounds good, and although it's a great listen, the new style is more Alternative Rock than Alternative Metal, and not to be an elitist, but I think though Rock has a lot of potential and is undoubtedly fantastic stuff, it may not have as much of a re-listenable value, and songs are generally a lot less memorable than, say, Talking to God from Vol. II. It's noticeably more mainstream and without sounding too musical-snobbish and out-there, I think originality will almost always come from the personal sound of the artist, instead of being inspired by popular acts.
So Hurt have produced another great album, with a new great sound, but listeners might find themselves fairly tired, if not more than they would with Vol. I and II, after a good 10 or so listening sessions. Songs like 'Got Jealous' might prevail, but maybe Hurt should stick to the darker, emotional stuff they excel at.
