photos by Steve Rood***English art-pop icon Tears for Fears, on tour supporting a new release, The Tipping Point, the band’s first studio album in 18 years, returned to Los Angeles with a galvanizing sold-out appearance at the Kia Forum. Led by the incomparable duo of guitarist and singer Roland Orzabal and bassist and singer Curt Smith, the sextet delighted its capacity crowd with a good chunk of its setlist drawn from the new album and faultless performances of its classic catalog. Whether on the freshly-minted opening pair of “No Small Thing” and the titular track from The Tipping Point, or Orzabal’s clever nod to Wings’ “Let Em In” during the outro of “Secret World,” or the vintage entries of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Sowing the Seeds of Love,” and “Mad World,” the group’s exceptional, rousing musicianship- and impassioned, ageless vocals from Orzabal and Smith- did noteworthy justice to four decades of technicolor pop excellence. Add the 14,000 serenading “Happy Birthday” to Orzabal’s wife, Emily, to make the band’s welcome home to their adopted city of Los Angeles an emotional, heartfelt celebration.