What Happens When Personal Favorite Becomes the Next Big Thing?

I love it when an artist that I've heralded on this blog becomes a big success. It's happened a few times before, and looks to happen again with Hurts, who have been tipped by many in the media as the next big thing for 2010. But it didn't happen without a few changes.

I wrote about Hurts extensively back when they were called Daggers. In fact, their single Money was my number one song of 2008 (though technically it was released in late 07). I lamented when the group broke up, and still believe that they've got some of the best unreleased tracks ever recorded. I like to string them together to form an album-that-never-was. If it had been released, it would easily challenge this year's crop for the number one position on my countdown.

But enough about Daggers. Even though I don't want to believe it, they're gone--as is their brand of brash, glossy electro. Now we've got Hurts, which in name and sound seems to be a reaction to Daggers. A comedown, a morning after. From what I've heard so far (four songs and a remix), the tone is muted and subtle, the tempo is slowed, and the overall sound is more wistful and stately.

Exhibit A: Daggers - Death It Feels
Daggers - Death It Feels by tattoowesley

Exhibit B: Hurts - Unspoken
Hurts - Unspoken by tattoowesley

Both are obviously fantastic, but based on my tastes alone, I can't help but wish that it was Daggers that were receiving all of this exciting press, but we've yet to see exactly what Hurts will do. After all, the principle songwriters are still there. The wonderful vocals are intact. The songs are good (though too often not great) and I think they have a hit in Wonderful Life (the best of their output thus far). I just hope they remember what made them hurt in the first place.

What about you guys? Which of the two songs above do you prefer? I think both represent the sound of their respective band pretty accurately.

Hear two other songs performed on bbc radio (fast forward an hour and three minutes into the broadcast)

Wonderful Life video

Their (frustratingly cryptic) Myspace