Released
40 years ago today, on January 22, 1983, it's The Stranglers 7th studio
LP, Feline. After the critical and chart success of La Folie and the
Golden Brown single, Feline continued the band's evolution into a hybrid
style of electronics infused alternative Euro-pop. Most notably, this
is evident in Jet Black's use of synth-drums, augmented by his near
metronome perfect meter. It's a move which may have alienated fans of
their raunchier punk roots, but resulted in some exquisitely composed
confections for those who could appreciate their newfound subtlety.
The
album was initially released with a bonus 7", Aural Sculpture
Manifesto, a deliberately pretentious sounding monologue delivered by
Hugh Cornwell, espousing the band's theory and mastery of sonic
manipulation, which was clearly beyond the purview of their peers
<hurumpf>. As for the LP proper, it was home to three singles:
European Female, Midnight Summer Dream and Paradise, though the US
edition of the LP included Golden Brown as the closing track on the A
side of the record. While the LP charted higher than the previous
album, the singles found less receptive audiences than Golden Brown.
Critics were somewhat mixed in their response to the album, with
accusations that the album was "boring" coming from several. However,
as previously mentioned, the style of the album was less "beat them over
the head" and more "seduce them", so its charms are only revealed
through repeated listening. In addition to the electronic drums, the
album relies on predominantly acoustic guitars and Dave's synth textures
to create a balance between the natural and the synthetic. This gives
the album a rather dreamy ambience throughout.
While it may not
rank as my favorite LP from the band, falling in behind La Folie, The
Raven & Meninblack, it keeps pace as a tight fourth in that pack and
offers a consistently enjoyable listen whenever I'm in the mood for its
muted savage charms. I had the pleasure of seeing the band live when
they toured this LP and it was a wonderful experience I'll soon be
recounting for your amusement.
