Retro Review: Songs From The Big Chair by Tears For Fears

5/5 stars

The 80s were a staple of music that continues to live on today. It lives on through headphones, on the radio, in arcades—any place that can be thought of. A memorable band with a euphonic range of melody and rhythm that is played in all these places is Tears for Fears and their album Songs from the Big Chair. The second studio album from the 80s pop-rock band consists of only eight songs that are lengthy but display a wide range of diverse feelings and atmospheres that create a reminiscent and mesmerizing tone to sit through. The first track, “Shout,” sets the tone for the rest of the album with heavy percussion and synthesizer that creates an empowering tone. Especially when singers Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal echo the chorus: “Shout! Shout! Let it all out,” it grants listeners nod their heads and sing along. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” is a classic that is known to all due to its changes in melodies and lightheartedness. The opening instrumental creates a timeless euphoria that is later accompanied by the soft vocals of Smith and Orzabal. “Head Over Heels” follows in this lightheartedness, only it creates a more ethereal sound. It encapsulates a dreamlike aura with a swooning chorus. On a different scale, the ending track “Listen” is structured through the use of different reps of piano and electric guitar to create an energetic feel to the album’s end. Songs from the Big Chair may be short in the number of songs and lengthy overall, but it still holds the ground of being a breakthrough album to listen to. Nothing feels the same to where it becomes boring to the ear. From “Shout” to “Listen”, Tears for Fears encapsulates the 80’s feeling without overworking or stressing any lyrics and beats.