Savage Garden s first album sold eleven million copies worldwide. This Australian duo of Darren Hayes and partner Daniel Jones churns out unruffled, radio ready pop - and while "Affirmation" has a lot going for it, it still falters in a couple of places.
In this album, lead singer Darren Hayes illustrates how it feels to be hopelessly in love through "I Knew I Loved You", "The Best Thing" and "Chained to You". In "Crash and Burn", he promises comfort and support to the woman he loves, and works toward reconciliation when romance goes bitter in "Hold Me" and "I Don t Know You Anymore".
"Two Beds and a Coffee Machine" exposes the pain of domestic abuse as it tells of a battered wife trapped by financial dependence on her husband - although it optimistically concludes, "There s hope in the darkness/You know you re going to make it"). The title track lists things the lyricist believes in, most of which are positive.
This article was first published on08 Mar 2000.