That a formation as mythical (and as British) as Madness –capable of redefining to a certain extent the concept of ska in the late seventies and (especially) in the eighties– returns in 2023 with an album of no less than twenty tracks, without faltering, boring the staff, or making a fool of itself for the road, is in itself great news. That the product in question also includes some (many) of the best songs by the combo in decades could even justify the hubbub. Indeed, Madness return to the scene seven years after “Can’t Touch Us Now” (Universal, 16), with a new studio album titled “Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie” (BMG, 23) tremendously ambitious, with an opera-pop or theatrical spectacle aspect and a global sense that invites complete tasting without pauses.
A work of flattering production (by the band itself exclusively for the first time in their career) in which lively scenes of bittersweet lyrical content follow one another in accordance with strange times, frequently pointing to the turbulent Britain of today. All while that specific essence of Londoners exudes joyfully and uninterruptedly throughout a sequence of themes as inspired as its own development is coherent. Graham “Suggs” McPherson’s tentative vocal performance, Lee Thompson’s generous saxophone presence, and juicy instrumentation resonate in songs as functional as “Hour Of Need”la funky “If I Go Mad”, the singles “That’s life” y “What On Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)”the unstoppable “Run For Your Life”, “Beginners 101”, “Set Me Free (Let Me Be)” with Suggs playing crooner“Theatre Of The Absurd”, or that celebration of the end of the world that is “Lockdown And Frack Off”, to which brief interludes in the voice of actor Martin Freeman can be added.
Times have changed and Madness They are no longer avant-garde nor do they star in colorful dances to the sound of records like “One Step Beyond…” (Virgin, 79) o “Madness Presents The Rise & Fall” (EMI, 82). And yet, they have once again topped the UK sales charts, in an achievement motivated by a work in which they recover the main qualities of their sound, wisely and observing the world around them to avoid sound outdated. Apart from that manifestly terrible taste when it comes to choosing covers (and which reaches stratospheric levels on the cover of “Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie”), the truth is that Sluggs and company have delivered a more than notable indie-pop album with a marked aroma of ska, which contains a palpable majority of life-giving pieces, in what could be considered, at least for the moment, the firm rebirth of Madness.