FinalBeyond
05-19-2009, 03:05 PM
Well, it's that marvellous time again, when a new Madness album is in the shops. It's unfortunately a time that comes around far too few times, with their last album being 1999's Wonderful. Shocked me when I realised I'd gone through most of my education in the time since their last album. I can still remember the promotional concert they held at Camden Lock like it was yesterday.
Anyhow, The Liberty of Norton Folgate is now out, and it's fascinating to listen to. It's been called Madness' concept album, but it's slightly different from the 'telling a story' form of album. Instead, it's trying to build a picture of London through their eyes (although Suggs points out in the liner notes that they've sort of done that before in their canon of work). But the similar themes and unvarying tone means that it does feel unified nonetheless, leading up to the 10 minute title track. Suggs compares it to "This Bright Field", a travel book set in one area of London, but this does it through song rather than the written word.
Critics are calling it Madness' best album yet, and while I'm not quite sure if that's the case (Wonderful is one of my favourite albums of all time), it's certainly their most polished, and some of the tracks are sublime, with NW5 and Forever Young being my favourites. Definitely worth a listen.
Anyhow, The Liberty of Norton Folgate is now out, and it's fascinating to listen to. It's been called Madness' concept album, but it's slightly different from the 'telling a story' form of album. Instead, it's trying to build a picture of London through their eyes (although Suggs points out in the liner notes that they've sort of done that before in their canon of work). But the similar themes and unvarying tone means that it does feel unified nonetheless, leading up to the 10 minute title track. Suggs compares it to "This Bright Field", a travel book set in one area of London, but this does it through song rather than the written word.
Critics are calling it Madness' best album yet, and while I'm not quite sure if that's the case (Wonderful is one of my favourite albums of all time), it's certainly their most polished, and some of the tracks are sublime, with NW5 and Forever Young being my favourites. Definitely worth a listen.