Desire

British duo Hurts emerged in 2010 with Happiness, an album of fashionably minimalist, '80s-influenced electronic pop, expertly showcasing lead singer Theo Hutchcraft's moody croon and Adam Anderson's evocative arrangements -- which they smartly, and somewhat cheekily, promoted via a handful of stylishly throwback black-and-white videos. It all read as an inspired pastiche of Violator-era Depeche Mode crossed with Actually-era Pet Shop Boys, gorgeously melancholy and elegantly cold. But the brilliant part was that they contrasted this icy vibe with tightly constructed songs, most of which bore a streak of unexpected uplift within the music's emotional drama. It's that uplifting streak the duo seize and run with on their fourth full-length album, 2017's deeply romantic Desire. Musically speaking, as with their other post-Happiness albums, Desire finds Hurts continuing to expand their artistic scope, touching upon elements ranging from anthemic pop ("Wherever You Go") and piano-driven bal