This is not your parents' (or older siblings') Tears for Fears.

On Everybody Loves a Happy Ending the British duo that came out of an era and genre that brought us morose wunderkinds like The Smiths and The Cure return, transformed.

Instead of sounding like an '80s act trying to make a comeback, Tears now sounds like it has never heard of the '80s, instead evoking the spirit of rock from an even earlier time frame, when Lucy played with diamonds and students were trying to tear down "the wall."

The disc starts off with the album's title track, a deceivingly upbeat tune, which should have been the band's first single. After a Pink Floyd-ish musical lead-in, lightly touching upon Tears' sound of the past, we are awoken from our trance by an alarm clock and the words "wake up," informing us that we aren't in a world that everyone wants to rule anymore.

The album's first single, "Call Me Mellow," should've been left as a B-side. It's poppy and modern, but only by unimpressively bogarting the melody of The La's "There She Goes."

But shed no tears and have no fears, because it gets much better. Whether a pre- or post-Revolver Beatles fan, you're in luck. "Closest Thing to Heaven," "Who Killed Tangerine?" and "Who You Are" all evoke a little magic from early and later Beatles albums. Floyd fans will undoubtedly enjoy most of "Killing with Kindness," except for an oddly placed modern rock chorus.

The truth is, you might be a little hard pressed trying to find any actual Tears for Fears sounding music on Happy Ending.

"The Devil" comes closest and is one of the album's best tracks. "Last Days on Earth," the album's last and most unique track, can only be described as Barry White rhythms meets U2 lyrics.

Gone is the cynicism and angst of '80s synth pop. Instead we feel the inevitable but soothing clock of old age ticking in the heads of a band nearing its happy end.

-- Reviewed by Jason Cox