Hearts and Knives

Hearts and Knives
Studio album by Visage
Released 20 May 2013
Genre Synthpop, rock, pop
Label Blitz Club
Producer John Bryan, Sare Havlicek
Visage studio album chronology

Beat Boy
(1984)		 Hearts and Knives
(2013)		 Orchestral
(2014)

Hearts and Knives is the fourth studio album by the British rock/pop band Visage. It was released on 20 May 2013 and was the band's first album of new material in 29 years.

Background

In January 2013, Visage announced their new line-up to consist of vocalist and founding member Steve Strange, bassist Steve Barnacle (who had worked with the band on their 1984 album Beat Boy), Robin Simon (former guitarist in Ultravox and Magazine) and Lauren Duvall on vocals. The band's official website confirmed that former Visage/Magazine keyboardist Dave Formula and former Simple Minds keyboardist Mick MacNeil have also contributed to the album.[1]

Album cover

The make-up and "Fade to Grey"-style mask seen on the front cover were created by Lara Himpelmann, and the cover shot was taken by photographer Peter Ashworth,[1] who was responsible for the cover of Visage's debut album in 1980. The new logo and graphics have been designed by The Nick Foot Studio.

Release

A single, "Shameless Fashion", was released as a digital download in April 2013 and followed by a physical CD-single release on 6 May.

Hearts and Knives was released on 20 May 2013 through the band's own label Blitz Club.[2]

A second single, "Dreamer I Know", was released on 23 July 2013. A promo video for the single (the band's first since 1984) was produced. The single includes the non-album track entitled "Digital Age". The third single from the album, "Never Enough", was released on 9 December 2013, with a vinyl release to follow in January 2014.[3] The fourth single from the album, "Hidden Sign", was released as a CD-single and a download on 23 May 2014 with a 12" vinyl single available from Rough Trade Records.[4] The fifth and final single from the album, "She's Electric (Coming Around)", was released in August 2014.[5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
The New Zealand Herald 2/5[6]
Record Collector [7]

Lydia Jenkin of The New Zealand Herald called it "a solid album steeped in nostalgia. [...] But really, it's one for the fans – and those needing an early-'80s fix."[6] Record Collector's review commented "the new Visage album sounds like the past 30 years failed to happen."[7]

Track listing

  1. "Never Enough"
  2. "Shameless Fashion"
  3. "She's Electric (Coming Around)"
  4. "Hidden Sign"
  5. "On We Go"
  6. "Dreamer I Know"
  7. "Lost in Static"
  8. "I Am Watching"
  9. "Diaries of a Madman"
  10. "Breathe Life"

Personnel

Visage
Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Visage Website – News". visage.cc. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Visage – Hearts and Knives Our First Album in 29 Years Is...". Facebook. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Visage – Cover Photos". Facebook. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Visage – Cover Photos". Facebook. 19 May 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "Visage – Cover Photos". Facebook. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jenkin, Lydia (18 May 2013). "Album Review: Visage, Hearts and Knives – Entertainment – NZ Herald News". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "[Hearts and Knives review]". Record Collector (416). July 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2014.

External links