Secret Codes & Battleships (Deluxe Version)

iTunes Review

After flirting with ‘80s electro on preceding albums, Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes lets his influences culminate in Secret Codes & Battleships. Hayes’ voice sounds boyish well into manhood, delivering delightfully androgynous vocals on the impassioned opening ballad, “Taken by the Sea.” The inspirational “Don’t Give Up” floats over a foundation of sequenced beats, handclaps, and synthesizer loops, while Hayes releases controlled bursts of soulful singing. The standout single “Talk Talk Talk” injects tasteful tinges of retro ‘80s electro-pop over bygone acid-house riffs. It sounds like a dance floor throwback, though it’s Hayes’ razor-honed hooks in the chorus melody that’ll latch onto your lobe for days on end. “Bloodstained Heart” is the kind of ballad that sounds carefully tailored for the sole purpose of making teenagers weep, before the soaring, triumphant ending inadvertently recalls a-ha’s “The Sun Always Shines on TV.” The deluxe edition boasts an impressive seven bonus tracks, including two live songs.