Having elected to defy tradition and wait four years to release a follow-up to their commercial breakthrough Songs From the Big Chair, Tears for Fears expanded their creative prowess on 1989's The Seeds of Love. Opting for grand melodies over radio-targeted hooks and reflecting a slightly sunnier disposition, the compositions establish an even closer relationship to soulful roots and hint at gospel undercurrents. The duo, too, also discovered a secret weapon in the person of Oleta Adams. While again pursuing themes associated with emotional hurt and healing, Tears for Fears take a more grandiose turn on arrangements here steeped in suite-like forms and epic pop psychedelia. Adams lends warmth via her gospel-shot vocals as well as her female presence. She grounds songs with a combination of gentle poignancy and soaring theatricality, bringing a can't-miss energy to rigorously crafted works that aim for a lasting transcendence independent of radio interest. Of course, with the proudly bombastic "Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Woman In Chains," Tears for Fears again found chart-scraping success, the hits rewards for uncompromising boldness and this record's expertly polished sound. The group's sonic evolution is also apparent on the album cover: an eye-popping, colorful montage suggestive of the music's harlequin textures and stylish devices replaces the stark, grey-hued image carried by its predecessor. Woman In Chains Badman's Song Sowing the Seeds of Love Advice for the Young at Heart Standing on the Corner of the Third World Swords and Knives Year of the Knife Famous Last Words
