Madness – The Liberty Of Norton Folgate

This same UK pressing was also sold in USA but with a different barcode sticker on the back.

The Liberty of Norton Folgate, the first album from Madness in ten years, is masterful, and may prove to be an outright masterpiece. The songs are lush and playful, robust with instrumentation and musical consonance. The band has matured since their youth of One Step Beyond in the best way: the bratty ska energy has ripened into a tuneful musical wisdom. A friendlier new album I seldom hear these days. Bouncy piano, sweet vocals, and classy, understated horn arrangements propel this full band through a dense, accessible work of generous music that crafts its own genre. That the album ends with a ten-minute pop operetta adds to the earnestness of the project. This title track and several other songs concern themselves with the city of London, and the album is steeped in nostalgia and sweet reflection. This is not your typical tired new wave band reunion; this is one step beyond.