La Folie

Released just nine months after The Stranglers\' weirdest album to date—*(The Gospel According To) The Meninblack*—*La Folie* was considered a \"return to form\" due to its short, concise pop-rock numbers. In retrospect, *La Folie* benefits from the experimentalism of *Meninblack*. Both albums have a vitality that could only be reached by the band\'s ambitions. \"Non-Stop\" brings back the Doors-like organ and Lou Reed–like spoken-word vocals. \"Everybody Loves You When You\'re Dead\" turns to the primitive \"techno\" music the rock group was inventing on its own. \"Let Me Introduce You to the Family,\" the album\'s first single, takes the techno edge even further, with carefully calibrated synths adding a sense of menace to the punkish attack. \"Golden Brown\" thrives on a seasick rhythm that\'s like a funhouse-mirror version of lounge music. Most beautiful is the atmospheric title track. The six bonus tracks include the U.K. Top 10 single \"Strange Little Girl,\" several b-sides, and a work-in-progress called \"Cocktail Nubiles\" that\'s plenty bizarre.

La Folie is a welcome album in the Stranglers' oeuvre, mainly a collection of tight, punchy songs that often suggest the forthright approach of American new wave bands.