From the first time i heard "To The Moon And Back" i knew there was something special about Darren Hayes-with or without Savage Garden.The SPIN album had it's moments, but i was disapointed. Although it did contain,"Insatiable", hands down the best love song ever, i felt like Darren Hayes was capable of better. Upon receiving The Tension and The Spark, I WAS BLOWN AWAY!!! I've had it for a week and i can't get over how flawless and percectly crafted this album is. I love electronic music, but it can be cold. But with Darren's beautiful vocals and deep, deep lyrics this album warms my heart. That's the best way i can describe it. This is my favorite album in years. And I can't remember the last time an album affected me as much as this did. I can relate to it whole heartatly, as i'm sure many will. Yes, it's dark, but at the same time it makes you feel really good. There are so many standout tracks here. "dublin sky" and "feel" are beautiful ballads-(can you expect anything less from the man who brought you truly, madly, deeply?)--"darkness" is haunting and maybe the best song on the album. Are you ready to dance?--no problem with that here. "hero", "i like the way", "popular" definetely get you going. and for those of you that miss Savage Garden, take a listen to "Love & Attraction"- it sounds very similar to "tears of Pearls" from the first SG album. and we all remember how hot that song was. do yourselves a favor and get this cd. this is what great music is about. the emotions of the good and bad in our lives- and everything in between.

I have been a fan of Savage Garden from the beginning and was at first upset when they decided to stop making music. I say at first, because after hearing what Darren Hayes can do by himself, I am glad that he went on to his own solo career. His first album, "Spin," is a good album, but not quite as good as either of Savage Garden's CDs.

Now, with "The Tension and the Spark," Darren makes a surprising, and welcome, change in style. The album as a whole is beautifully insightful and deeply emotional. At first when I put the CD in and heard the beginning of "Darkness," I thought I was going to be disappointed with the album. The further I got into it, the more I began to appreciate it. By the time I got to the end of "Unlovable" I was in love.

Darkness - A slow start to ease you into the album. Darren collaborates with Robert Conley, creator of the online "electronic project" Specificus. They work very well together and do a few other songs on this album. Darren says that his favortie lyrics ever are in this song: "It's hard to take control when your enemy's old and afraid of you..You discover that the monster you've been running from is the monster in you.." Great song.

I Like the Way - Another song with help from Robert Conley. I love this song. Picks up the beat for the album for the second track (although it was one of the last songs he wrote for the album.) It's a song about sexuality. I'd like to add a quote from Darren when he was asked about this song: "I guess I firmly believe that lust and desire, although a huge part of the process of attraction, are embryonic or adolescent stages of love. I know that ultimately the ego craves the physical aspect but the soul wants more." Like I said, very insightful, and emotional person. That aspect of him shines in this album.

Light - Darren's friend who "fell pregnant" and gave birth in the midst of all of his depression and pain, inspired him. The baby simply represented re-birth to him. Showing him light in the middle of all of his darkness. A well constructed and beautifily performed change from the previous track.

Pop!ular - His single in Australia, poking fun at the celebrity world. How anyone will do anything to be popular. It's another fun, upbeat one like track 2.

Dublin Sky - Slows it down a bit again. Absolutely gorgeous song. Darren says that this was the frist song he ever wrote. I can't stress how beautiful this song is. One of my favorite on the album.

Hero - A good song about how people always put one person up on a pedastal and idolize them, and expect perfection from them. How Darren Hayes doesn't want to be that person anymore. Good song, but not one of the most memorable.

Unlovable - Not only my favorite song, but Darren Hayes favorite as well. The song is basically an unsent letter. One thing I love about the song is how heartfelt... how genuine his emotion sounds. This is because the first time he ever sang the song, is what you hear on the record. This song is most certainly not unlovable; it is unbelievable!

Void - An excellent following song right after "Unlovable." Robert Conley is back to help with this song for the "drum sounds from hell" that make the song so unique. Again, very emotional. Great lyrics. You really understand what he's talking about. Yes, Darren, we all feel the void sometimes.

I Forgive You - Darren had some help from Marius De Vries, who worked with Bjork, and Madonna's "Ray of Light" album. Good song, although, again, not the most memorable.

Feel - Great song. I love the melodies, and the way the lyrics in the verses are presented. Each line builds on the one before it. "You teach me how to love... parts of myself... I hated for so long." Each line in the lyrics leaves it open for a new direction to take the mood... Very well done.

Love and Attraction - This is another good song. Brings up the possibility of Darren Hayes being bisexual? I'd respect him even more for that. The song is about how dumb the whole courtship scenario is. In Darrens words it's about "Cupid's cruel joke on us all."

Sense of Humor - Starts off with a nice slow melody. Picks up as the song goes on. I really love the background music in the last half of the song. Everything seems to continue to escalate and add more things on top of each other, but they fit together so well! Darren's overlapping vocals sounds wonderful. He really is an incomparable singer.

Ego - This is a song about how he is trying to get rid of his ego. Simple, straightforward lyrics at times, but they're almost humorous. For example: "I have been contemplating letting go... of you ego... thought I'd let you know..." I love it.

Boy (Bonus Track) - Although this track is not listed for this version on amazon, this is copy that I ordered, and the bonus track edition (which costs over $10 more than this one) was on mine. So I don't know if they sent me the wrong one, or if that track is already on the regular album anyway. Might be a reason to buy this one instead of the bonus track version. Anyway... the actual song is... not really a song. It is enjoyable to listen to, and has some good lyrics, and is quite interesting. But I wouldn't necessarily call it a song. You'll have to listen to it to see what I mean.

Overall the album is totally spectacular, and I have considered it one of my favorites, if not my favorite album ever. I'd recommend it to anyone who'd give it a shot. Definitely worth the money to import it!

(source used for some quotes: [...])

#1. I love this friggin' cd. Darren is poetic and emotional and moving with his words. Every song deals with some aspect of love or relationship....the dark and light side of it....

#2. The sound is different than SPin, but the difference is good. DOn't get me wrong, I love Spin just as much, but, I don't know, it feels as though he worked harder on this cd, put much more of himself into it and much more reflection.

#3. I Like the Way is a club song....u put it on, and u're going to dance through ALL of it. Unlovable is one of my other faves....Check out the lyrics: "are my lips unkissable? are my eyes unlookable? is my sex undoable? am i unloveable?...you made me feel like my father never loved me...you made me feel like the act of love is empty...you made me feel like my mother she abandoned me..." That's some heavy stuff.....it's just deep. Some of his romantic songs are just so beautiful. The cd is great! GO BUY IT NOW!

#4. IF YOU BUY FROM AMAZON, UR GOING TO PAY MORE. I GOT MINE FROM TOWER RECORDS. $18, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE BONUS TRACK "BOY". THAT CD IS $25. U DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT, EITHER. IT COMES RIGHT TO YOU. AND IF YOU BUY OVER $20, U GET FREE SHIPPING!

#5. Darren proves he can hold his own....I mean he did in Spin, but he REALLY did here. HIs voice is so beautiful...when he hits those ooohhhsss and aaaahhhhhssss....makes u melt.....*ah, faint*.

I have to say this album is THE best Darren has done in terms of vocals and lyrics here. For me being a writer too, reading the lyrics book as I was listening to the cd, more of songs have grown on me, and more I listen to them the more I will enjoy them.

At a Listening Party after one listen a few tracks really stood out to me: Dublin Sky, Darkness, Unlovable, I like the way and I forgive you. The rest were in the middle and would grow on me eventually.

Now that I have listened properly one time through (and have cd on repeat in my player), the following tracks in order of my favorites: Dublin Sky, I like the way, Darkness Popular, Unlovable, I Forgive You, and Hero.

The rest are growing on me slowly as I listen to them more: Light, Love & Attraction, Feel, Void, Ego, and Sense of Humor.

This is an album that is a must have for anyone who appreciates good music and lyrics.

The electronic musical parts may not be all people's thing but its secondary and not important to me personally. Its an album that will really appeal to many because it has mature themes to it that most people can relate to for sure: heartbreak, darkness, betrayal, loss, and from the bad times, light and love will come your way for sure.

If I had to pick the next song as the next single, I'd pick Dublin Sky - its got an acoustic feel, and a slower tempo song that people except from Darren. But its not a typical love song either but a song about looking back and having some regrets & more but also looking back with fondness on the good times of a failed relationship.

Run don't walk to the nearest store or website, and get it this cd... its so worth it.

If you think you know this artist... think again. Now and then an album breaks the surface of your complacency and rattles your beliefs and shakes up everything you've previously held true... and this is such an album. Darren Hayes is not a "new" artist. And yet everything he does on this album IS new. It's electronic in inception...but not the chilly Euro-tech sort of electronic you may have come to associate with that term... organic in performance (you may not recognise the name but you'll certainly recognise the voice) and unexpected in sound. All the melodic turns and flourishes you might remember from his previous work are still there, and all the lyrical depth... and more. Above all, this is a work of brutal honesty, intensely personal, inward-focused...about the contrast between the light in our lives and the dark that sometimes swallows it. Not an easy listen. In fact, there are parts that will test your tolerance, break your heart, and leave you questioning the very nature of happiness. Illusion? Disillusion? Impossibility? You'll be surprised, and reassured, by the end.

So, after all that... how does it SOUND? Like the album Darren Hayes was always meant to make. Which is to say... like nothing you've ever heard before!