The Monochrome Set - Strange Boutique / Love Zombies - CD/LP reissues - Tapete Records - April 2020
Forty years ago, Virgin Records subsidary DinDisc issued the first two albums by the literate and lyrical ensemble The Monochrome Set. The two long-players appeared at opposite ends of what was a very fine year for this sort of thing and received mostly encouraging reviews across the press.
Soon after these two albums set the tone, The Monochrome Set took their dandy jangly indie-pop to Cherry Red and arguably gave the label part of its musical identity alongside Felt and Everything But The Girl. Perhaps while signed to Cherry Red they sounded a little more at home, less so on Virgin's 'indie' offshoot that was already priming OMD for elevated stardom. Meanwhile in the not too distant future, The Smiths tapped into the Monochrome psyche and earned more than a crust or two.
Now in 2020, after a clutch of fetching new records for German imprint Tapete during the last decade, the story spins full circle with timely reissues of these debut albums.
Led by singer-songwriter Bid, the band had had previous links to Adam Ant in a band called The B-Sides so it's no surprise that some of the tribal drumming appears on the eponymous opening track on Strange Boutique at a time when Kings Of The Wild Frontier was being assembled by a certain Stuart Goddard and co.. Other tracks on Strange Boutique pre-empt the C86 period - Martians Go Home sounds like The Bodines while The Lighter Side Of Dating and the album's title-track aren't so different to early James or XTC respectively. As a first step on the ladder, it's a decent if chaotic listen.
Follow-up Love Zombies continues the intricate time-signatures and merry-go-round melodies that decorated the debut, albeit with a somewhat less frenetic bent and more imaginative arrangements and storylines. Hell, some of these songs are even bordering on 'pop'. Adeste Fideles and single Apocalypso actually sound as timeless as they did four decades ago, although references to reclining chairs might date the latter somewhat.
Lyrically and musically, The Monochrome Set could only hail from England, or Paris at a push. The flowery poetic wordiness perhaps inadvertently borrows from Noel Coward or Neil Innes, depending on which song you listen to, many telling tales of characters possibly ficticious or real-life. The Man With The Black Moustache could soundtrack a farcical British mild sex comedy starring the likes of Richard O'Sullivan or Una Stubbs. In short, it's all good clean zany fun (mostly).
If I was to pick a starting point I'd recommend both although Love Zombies just edges it.
Forty years ago, Virgin Records subsidary DinDisc issued the first two albums by the literate and lyrical ensemble The Monochrome Set. The two long-players appeared at opposite ends of what was a very fine year for this sort of thing and received mostly encouraging reviews across the press.
Soon after these two albums set the tone, The Monochrome Set took their dandy jangly indie-pop to Cherry Red and arguably gave the label part of its musical identity alongside Felt and Everything But The Girl. Perhaps while signed to Cherry Red they sounded a little more at home, less so on Virgin's 'indie' offshoot that was already priming OMD for elevated stardom. Meanwhile in the not too distant future, The Smiths tapped into the Monochrome psyche and earned more than a crust or two.
Now in 2020, after a clutch of fetching new records for German imprint Tapete during the last decade, the story spins full circle with timely reissues of these debut albums.
Follow-up Love Zombies continues the intricate time-signatures and merry-go-round melodies that decorated the debut, albeit with a somewhat less frenetic bent and more imaginative arrangements and storylines. Hell, some of these songs are even bordering on 'pop'. Adeste Fideles and single Apocalypso actually sound as timeless as they did four decades ago, although references to reclining chairs might date the latter somewhat.
If I was to pick a starting point I'd recommend both although Love Zombies just edges it.