Having elected to defy tradition and wait four years to release a follow-up to their commercial breakthrough Songs From the Big Chair, Tears for Fears expanded their creative prowess on 1989's The Seeds of Love. Opting for grand melodies over radio-targeted hooks and reflecting a slightly sunnier disposition, the compositions establish an even closer relationship to soulful roots and hint at gospel undercurrents. The duo, too, also discovered a secret weapon in the person of Oleta Adams.

While again pursuing themes associated with emotional hurt and healing, Tears for Fears take a more grandiose turn on arrangements here steeped in suite-like forms and epic pop psychedelia. Adams lends warmth via her gospel-shot vocals as well as her female presence. She grounds songs with a combination of gentle poignancy and soaring theatricality, bringing a can't-miss energy to rigorously crafted works that aim for a lasting transcendence independent of radio interest.

Of course, with the proudly bombastic "Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Woman In Chains," Tears for Fears again found chart-scraping success, the hits rewards for uncompromising boldness and this record's expertly polished sound. The group's sonic evolution is also apparent on the album cover: an eye-popping, colorful montage suggestive of the music's harlequin textures and stylish devices replaces the stark, grey-hued image carried by its predecessor.