Police

Synchronicity

One of the finest albums of the 1980s

Review Score:

(10/10)
'Synchronicity' is one of those albums that any serious music lover should own. The Police were at the height of their popularity in 1983, but more importantly at the height of their musical powers. This was the album they had in them, and were working towards. Sting's lyrics had evolved from punkish, and somewhat immature songs about blow-up dolls and youthful angst, to complex psychological character studies and social commentary (built on from their previous, 'Ghost In The Machine'). Andy Summers and Stuart Copland were just as equally important as Sting in creating the sound of the group; Summers was quite the unsung guitar hero, rarely taking an overblown amp-shredding solo, but always playing interesing harmonies for the good of the song.

'Synchonicity' is a totally different beast from the early white-reggae 'Outlandos D'Amour' singles. The two title tracks are upbeat, dark, complex, yet very tuneful, while 'Tea In The Sahara' is a slow, atmospheric end to the album. ('Murder By Numbers' is a b-side which was added on to the cassette and cd issues, while a very cool, catchy song, it sounds a bit odd at the end, and I'm not one too picky about that kind of stuff.) The hits on the album get the most attention, especially 'Every Breath You Take', but the album works best as a unified work and not a platform for a big hit single. The Police went out on top, but it would be interesting to see how they would have continued as a group when looking at Sting's solo career.

More Reviews: