Hurts finally emerge from their European adventures to bring the first glimpse of what the few years away have brought. ‘Miracle’ marks the beginning of Hurts’ Exile era and, as the album title suggests, it’s a whole lot darker than anything its’ predecessor brought to the table.
Swapping their synths and grandiose pop sound—‘Miracle’ edges more towards the rocky end of the spectrum with guitar aplenty. But despite the lead instruments altering, there’s still little chance you’d mistake it for anyone but Hurts. It is still laden with emotions and theatrics as Happiness was but instead of refining and controlling them—Hurts have opted with channelling everything in its rawest, most exposed form to make something more intense than before.
There’s also something about ‘Miracle’ that makes it sound like the monochromatic sister of Coldplay’s ‘Princess of China’. It’s got the arms-stretched-out chorus and the same sing-along-able moments but it feels more sincere with Theo Hutchcraft’s smooth vocals and lyrics full of darkened religious imagery. It’s very much a no-holds-barred approach to their reappearance on the scene.
Although it remains recognisable, this complete change in musical direction takes a bit of getting used to. Happiness era fans will find it will take them quite a few listens to adjust and accept the sound ‘Miracle’ brings to the table. But once you do adjust and embrace it, you’ll find yourself enjoying the track and wondering what else Exile might bring.
7/10
