We Are Smug

This whole album has an entirely different sound than the other works done by Darren Hayes. Even though the album is quite different it is quite fun to listen to. I would suggest this album to anyone who is a fan of Darren Hayes just for at least a try.

A cd with great dance music. Darren Hayes from Savage Garden and his friend/producer Robert Conley got together for fun and created music. At first, Darren gave it to his fans for free but now it's on a awesome cd for anyone to hear with an extra song and cool booklet. Great for any Darren fan or someone who loves dance music.

CD cover was cracked on arrival but considering the long shipping journey I'd say that's acceptable. Most importantly, this is one of the very few copies of the mysterious album! I'm quite lucky to have one.

Love, love, love Darren Hayes!!! This was a departure from what I am accustomed to hearing from my favorite singer, but I like every song on the CD. I have listened to it enough to make everyone else sick of it. LOL!!!

EXCELENTE.

Not your typical Darren Hayes sound but a fun side project. I enjoy this album. If you liked The Tension and The Spark you will like this album as well.

Not one of his best albums. But I likes it

Love DH but as a previous review said - this is off the beaten track for his regular fans. The review said it will grow on you. We shall see. Techno and lyrically not up to his usual standard.

I will admit that my fascination with Darren Hayes and his fantastic musicial catalogue began with my mum becoming hooked on Savage Garden. But since then, she's turned me into a Darren super-fan. He holds such a wonderful tone in his voice and his majestically different style from album-to-album is amazing. And finally, this limited edition album is available on CD.LOOK WHAT WE'VE STARTED: A suave rock guitar riff, accompanied by the sultry vocals of producer Rob Conley, which sees him take the lead for the first time, allowing Darren to provide a stunning accompaniment, kicks off the album. It's perhaps one of Rob's most commercial efforts ever, and something that should have never stayed hidden for so long. (5/5) HOT TUB BLUES: Combining musicial styles from the classic '40s musicals with a sinking piano riff and a vocal persona of an extremely young performer and you've got something as experimental and timeless as can possible be achieved. The deep vocal harmony accompanying the second and final choruses are also a welcome change. (5/5) GOOD DRESS: A combination of electronic hip-hop and Beastie Boys style rap interludes, accompanied by a backing track of 'whoop whooops' and a killer hook with some ear-shattering high notes is another example of experimental perfection. Very remeniscent of the 'Delicate Thing' era. (5/5) WORDS THAT I CAN'T SAY: A sinister bassline kickstarts a pumping pop anthem which sees Darren taking a back seat for a second time to allow producer Rob Conley to take lead vocals. Rob's tone compliments Darren's soothing vocal extremely well, before Darren kicks in with a stunning middle-eight. The most mainstream effort on the record proves to not to a downfall in any way. (5/5) RIOT: An electronic romp that sounds direct from the 1980's dancefloor, combined with a continuously high falsetto vocal performance throughout makes this formerly unreleased a track one of the most powerfully-influenced electronic efforts on the album. The catchy stadium-anthem style hook will also having you humming it all day. (5/5)ON THE RADIO: A lower, raspy tone provides the backdrop for the perhaps weirdest effort on the album, which discusses the subject of sex and profanities on the radio and TV. The amount of vocal changes and mash-ups throughout the song makes it sound four or five songs have been spliced together, like a megamix. But nobody ever said megamixes were bad, and this certainly proves otherwise. (5/5) TEAR IT UP: A second attempt at hip-hop, this time blended with the return of the high falsetto is perhaps let down by the unadventerous, in comparison, instrumental arrangement of the track. It's like a blend of two genres which were never meant to mix, and should never have been. The final chorus is a kickstart too little too late. Saying that, however, it's better that alot of the music you find in the charts nowadays. (3/5) NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN: For the first time on the record, Darren uses his well-known vocal style that has been tied to him since his earliest Savage Garden days. A mixture of instrumental loops alongside some unexpected ballad-esque lyrics makes this a shocking classic up-tempo ballad amongst an electronic extravaganza. It's a welcome return to the Darren we all know and love. (5/5) WATCHING ME, WATCHING YOU: Before Darren began working with Rob, i'd never held much of an interest in electronic music, but his production on 'Tension and the Spark' was simply wonderful. And it is replicated here in this pop-laced electronic chatachism of a tale of Big Brother looking down on us. It's the only track i'd heard before purchasing the album, and it's a perfect place to bridge the gap between Darren's albums. (5/5) FIRE IT UP: An electronic take on the classic rock anthems of the 1970's, that once again finds Rob at the forefront of proceedings. It's surprising that Rob has never decided to take the stage himself as a solo performer, as he has an amazingly unique voice. Darren provides some fantastic vocal harmonies on the chorus, as well as a wonderful breakdown section. (5/5) THE PRESSURE: Darren and Rob close the album with a harmonised duet that is extremely reminiscent of the 'Spin' era, accompanied by a perfect piano and drum arrangement. It's somehow very different to anything Darren's done before, perhaps inspired by the similar artists in the field of this genre, such as Coldplay. A simply perfect close. (5/5)So, overall, using an extremely large amount of different vocal styles, and every music genre from thumping electronic basslines to classic '40s musicials-themed pop anthems, Darren and Rob have created an amazingly different experimental masterpiece. Every track is different to the last, none of which should be passed over. This has to be Darren's finest album ever, simply because of the vast ranges of styles he manages to pull off. Worth anybody's money anyday. If you're a fan of Darren, buy this now.

ダレン・ヘイズの好きな人なら絶対買っておくべきです。打ち込みで作られた個性的なサウンドながらメロディアスで完成度の高い曲ばかりです。8と11は特に名曲です。

I was told up front that this was a highly experimental album, so it may not be to everyone's tastes. Darren tends to make commercially viable albums and in between I feel he is just creating music, because he enjoys it so much. A couple of his albums need paring down as he has too many ideas, so discs like this where he cuts loose are good.Darren Hayes is my favorite artist so I generally like most of his work.This isn't just Darren singing the vocals as there is also a lot of Robert Conley singing the lead vocals too. 'Riot' is a standout track and 'Hot Tub Blues' is one of Darren's "interesting-story" tracks. 'On the Radio' has a bit of a 'Bombs up in My Face' feel to it and 'The Pressure' is Darren singing from his comfort zone. Darren is clearly a master of falsetto.If you like electronica and Darren Hayes then this will be a must buy. But be warned, this is a quirky ride!

この作品は2013年にCD化されたものの、それ以前の2009年にダレンがMySpaceで無料でファンに向けてDL出来るよう発表していたものです。（トラック5のRiotは今回のCD化に伴い新収録されたナンバー。）ダレン曰く「新しいサウンドの実験」という事で、彼自身の誕生日に配信されました。当時ダウンロードしましたが、実はそれほどお気に入りという訳ではありません。というのも、全編通してバリバリの電子音であり、メロディも若干単調なので、サウンド面では物足りなさを感じます。また、ソロ1stから関わるようになったロバート・コンリー（プロデュース兼シンガーソングライター）とダレンとのヴォーカルの落差が激しすぎて違和感が。ライトなファンには向かないと思います。しかし、新しい発見もありました。「売る」事を目的としていないアルバムですし、決して大衆向けの作品ではありませんが、その為か非常に肩の力の抜けたダレンのヴォーカルを楽しむことが出来ます。いつも以上に自由自在でユニークなダレンの歌声は流石の一言です。この実験と称した作品を経て、傑作「Secret Codes and Battleships 」が誕生したと考えながら聴くのも感慨深いかもしれません。そういった意味でも、我こそは筋金入りのダレンファン！という方にとって、一聴の価値はある作品だと思います。

Dug this out from years ago to give another blast in the car and I'm glad I did. If there is one outstanding track for me that I keep playing again and again it's NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. It's so sad that in today's music chart market this type of song wouldn't stand a chance, but it's a top quality tune that gets under your skin and worms its way in, just like great songs of old used to do. Every great album always used to have a littler gem hidden away: it's just the way it was; not all the best ones made it as singles. Darren Hayes is ace at producing these kind of melodies. I really hope he returns to the music world some time soon; his personal time gained is absolutely our loss! Shame on you Darren for depriving us of so much.