Police

Synchronicity

Police follow punk-to-pop trend and succeed.

Review Score:

(8/10)
Many artists that started as punks transformed into cleaner pop stars as the 80s dawned. Blondie, The Clash, The Go-Go's, and the Pretenders are just to name a few. The Police were the only band to follow this trend and stop when their fame went too big too fast. If you look at their past albums, they shift through styles, both succeeding and failing to register on the pop charts. With Synchronicity, however, the band's full fledged pop album, they got pop right where they wanted it, and still left room for whatever differently-influenced songs they could fit.

"Synchronicity I" is the powerful opener, like punk for geeks with its complex synth intro and fast, hard tempo. One of my favorites for its constant energy. "Walking in Your Footsteps" and "Oh My God" follow, their lyrics are the only thing keeping these songs from being throwaways, though their bass beats are almost irresistable to not skip. Next come the real throwaways if you're just looking for pop. "Mother" has a fantastic guitar solo in the middle while Copeland's delivery of the lyrics rock your senses into madness. "Miss Gradenko" is another track less likely to appeal to pop fanatics. It does, however, have a great rallying cry, "Is anybody alive in here? Is anybody alive in here?" if anything, more of a soundcheck song or stage filler to get the crowd revved up. On the album, though, it actually proves to be good filler as the next song is "Synchronicity II."

Finally, the album starts to gain atmosphere as the story of a man slowly going insane is told. At the same time, a deep sea monster (Loch Ness, anyone?) readies to attack a nearby cottage. Jung's synchronicity theory is illustrated beautifully in the lyrics and hard drive of guitar. "Every Breath You Take" follows. If you have never heard of this song before, then you must be completely oblivious to the pop music radar. The most popular song of Sting's career, certainly the best song he's written on that album. "King of Pain" is also a beautiful atmospheric track, taking instances of different types of pain and combining it into one song. Powerful and dynamic, never given music video treatment, which is unfortunate. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" is the last great Synchronicity single to top charts. Again, lyrics and music combine perfectly to form a great pop song. Then comes "Tea in the Sahara." A little too atmospheric for pop, but folky enough to be appreciated by music-lovers. "Murder by Numbers" is the last track, a funny song with good lyrical content if you ever wondered what it takes to be a murderer. Rather awkward end, but nice, nonetheless.

All these songs seperately do not hold a candle to the magic they are together as an album. Synchronicity showed great promise for the future of The Police, but as we all know, it was not meant to be. What a way to stop, right at the top. It's not Sgt. Pepper, but for its time and its timeless pop contributions, the album is vital toward any music lover's, and pop lover's music collection.

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