''The Tension and the Spark'' is the second studio album by

Darren Hayes Darren Stanley Hayes (born 8 May 1972) is an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the frontman and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden until their disbandment. Their 1997 album ''Savage Garden (Savage Garden album), Savage Garden'' peaked a ...

, released in 2004. The album was a change for Hayes, who took a more electronic and darker style for this record and also delved deeper into more personal matter. During the recording, the singer has returned his old and traditional black hair which is used for the 1990s and Savage Garden era, before their split in October 2001. This dramatic change alienated some of his fan-base, who were expecting a result similar to his previous effort "Spin". The title of the album is derived from lyrics featured in the second track, "I Like the Way".

Reception

The album was received warmly by critics and fans, praising its personal matter. ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' said "This album is no folly and succeeds, often to the point of all out triumph, on its own terms." Despite high positive reviews, it was not a large hit, and Hayes split with Columbia Records in 2006.

Singles

* "

Pop!ular "Popular" (stylized as "Pop!ular") is a song from Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes' second solo album, '' The Tension and the Spark'' (2004). The lyrics are a tongue-in-cheek send-up of celebrities and wannabes. A radio edit was made w ...

" was released as the album's first single in July 2004 and becoming a hit, reaching #1 on the US Dance Chart, his first number one. NME praised the song, saying it was "A twistered masterclass in career reintervention...This guy is a genius." * "

Darkness Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low lu ...

" was released as the album's second single in November 2004, but it did not chart. The physical single has subsequently become a rarity, with copies selling for £100 plus on second-hand websites and collector's auctions. * "Unlovable" was a promotional single for the album. While it was not released as a single of its own, the music video for the song was made.

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tension and the Spark, The 2004 albums Darren Hayes albums Columbia Records albums