After
Madness
broke up in 1986, four of its members reuinted to form
"The Madness."
The tinny, muddled pop sound proves what a big contribution producers
Clive Langer
and
Alan Winstanley
had made to the polished, resonant
records (the production credit here is given to "The Three Eyes"). There are flashes of trademark
melody, but too much of the album is an indistinguishable blur of drum machines, keyboards and '80s pop guitar. Exceptions include the reggae-flavored "Beat The Bride" and the sitar-savvy single "I Pronounce You." These former British skinheads have always been better at the wacky than the meaningful, and the lyrical emphasis on social issues feels strained. ~ Darryl Cater