The Tipping Point - 2022 European Universal label 10-track LP

The band had initially started writing the new record with some of today’s hit songwriters (2017’s ‘I Love You But I’m Lost’ was co-written with Bastille’s Dan Smith and Mark Crew) which was an idea suggested by Tears For Fears previous management and what Roland and Curt pithily refer to as “speed dating”. This did not work out. Orzabal explains that “Eventually, that pressure and tension divided us not just from our management, but from one another too”.

But Tears For Fears regrouped and changed their management. The new team subsequently raved about the five songs Roland and Curt could agree on and with new purpose and inspiration they completed the album, which is largely produced by Orzabal, Smith and Charlton Pettus, although producers and songwriters Sacha Skarbek and Florian Reutter contribute to a few songs.

Album highlights include the disarming opener ‘No Small Thing’ which takes the listener on a journey from campfire acoustics to full on TFF widescreen production; the pure pop of ‘Break The Man’; the irresistible stomper that is ‘My Demons’, the plaintive and soulful ‘Rivers of Mercy’ and the rueful ‘End of Nights’. The album closes with ‘Stay’, one of the tracks first included on the Rule The World greatest hits in 2017 (there’s no sign of ‘I Love You But I’m Lost’, the other new song on that compilation).

Tracks:
Side A
No Small Thing
The Tipping Point
Long, Long, Long Time
Break The Man
My Demons

Side B
Rivers of Mercy
Please Be Happy
Master Plan
End Of Night
Stay

Release date: February 25 - 2022