Despite its early protestations as to being a movement devoid of shackles and genre constraints, punk soon became straitjacketed and codified. By 1983 the scene had become characterised by a “studs, spikes and acne” ethos, and woe betide to anyone who deviated from the norm. So, when The Stranglers threw a curveball and went new wave on their seventh studio album Feline, the hostility they faced from the old guard was incomprehensible. However, they were always a band who refused to remain static, and when placed into their creative arc that included gothic rock, art rock and (shock, horror) sophisti-pop, Feline makes perfect sense.
This album found the band broadening their palette to incorporate acoustic guitars and electronic drums, whilst looking towards the European continent for inspiration. That influence comes shining through in ice cold, glacial synths which give the whole album a Kraftwerk/Nico vibe. The production is very ‘80s too, it is brittle and threadbare, and gives the impression that it could snap at any moment. Having said that, Feline sounds nothing like anything the band have recorded before, or since. The album’s tone is set by the Germanic cool of opening track ‘Midnight Summer Dream’, and it introduces themes and motifs that will echo throughout. Capturing that magical moment between wake and sleep, it has an otherworldly quality, as if wafting from another dimension, with vocals that foreshadow and echo, and it conjures images of ghostly figures dancing in bright moonlight. It’s understandable as to why this album threw the band’s core fanbase into a hex; there’s no thunder and fury of a ‘Something Better Change’ on here, instead we get the quiet storm of ‘Ships That Pass In The Night’ yet Feline is as ground breaking as anything The Stranglers released before (If not more so, by dint of its experimentation).
‘The European Female’ was one of three singles pulled from the album, and it did the best business. This jazzy, low-key approach was perfected by previous single ‘Golden Brown’, but this takes things one step further and reduces the song to the bare bones until all that is left is Hugh Cornwell’s vocals and cascading acoustic guitars, and the result is a song that buries itself deep in your consciousness, and is far more effecting in doing so than any rowdy punk number. While it’s true you can’t judge and album by its sleeve, the stark, none-more-black which houses Feline is indicative of the music contained within. The raven, inky sound is minimalist, and this approach serves to draw you in and focus your attention solely on the music, and with tunes this good, that’s exactly where it should be. Yet, it is a strangely evocative affair and ‘Let’s Tango In Paris’ will transport you to wide Parisian boulevards while ‘All Roads Lead To Rome’ will leave you standing solitary on a warm Mediterranean night. I’m not sure if it was The Stranglers intention to write a concept album, but the songs, exploring the dark undercurrent of European civilisation are linked thematically and that makes Feline, completed by the whimsical ‘Never Say Goodbye’, a well-rounded, satisfying listen.
Unlike the band’s earlier albums which are firmly rooted in the late-’70s, Feline has a timeless quality and doesn’t sound like it should be celebrating its 40th anniversary. But it is, and to honour its fourth decade this edition of Feline comes with a bonus LP. Included amongst the expected single edits are some real treasures including contemporary B-sides ‘Pãwshēr’ and ‘Permission’, both of which were too good to be tucked away (especially the latter with its quirky, discombobulated reggae beat) but now they can take their rightful place on this expanded edition. However, it is the spoken word ‘Aural Sculpture Manifesto’ that’s the real revelation and brings the album to a suitably surreal conclusion.
Despite the consternation it caused amongst their fans, Feline found The Stranglers at the peak of a creative arc and it struck a chord with the general public, reaching a giddy number 4 in the album charts. Available on double heavyweight vinyl or twin CD set, there’s never been a better time to rediscover Feline’s slinky and stealthy charms.
- Feline (40th Anniversary Edition) is released via BMG on 3rd March 2023 (available here).
- Official Website
Vinyl Track Listing:
Side One:
- Midnight Summer Dream
- It’s A Small World
- Ships That Pass In The Night
- The European Female
Side Two:
- Let’s Tango In Parisian
- Paradise
- All Roads Lead To Rome
- Blue Sister
- Never Say Goodbye
Side Three:
- European Female (Radio Edit)
- Midnight Summer Dream (Special Single Mix)
- Paradise (Radio Edit)
- Pãwshēr
- Permission
Side Four:
- Midnight Summer Dream (Special 12” Mix)
- Savage Breast
- (The Strange Circumstances Which Lead To) Vladimir & Olga (Requesting Rehabilitation In A Siberian Health Resort As A Result Of Stress In Furthering The People’s Policies)
- Aural Sculpture Manifesto
CD Track Listing:
CD One: Original Album
- Midnight Summer Dream
- It’s A Small World
- Ships That Pass In The Night
- The European Female
- Let’s Tango In Paris
- Paradise
- All Roads Lead To Rome
- Blue Sister
- Never Say Goodbye
CD Two: Bonus Tracks
- European Female (Radio Edit)
- Midnight Summer Dream (Special Single Mix)
- Paradise (Radio Edit)
- Pãweshēr
- Permission
- Midnight Summer Dream (Special 12” Mix)
- Savage Breast
- (The Strange Circumstances Which Lead To) Vladimir & Olga (Requesting Rehabilitation In A Siberian Health Resort As A Result Of Stress In Furthering The People’s Policies)
- Midnight Summer Dream/European Female (Live)
- Aural Sculpture Manifesto
