The Stranglers
Feline

THE REVIEW

 On the Tracks of the Black Panther... 

 Here came The Stranglers in the early '80s after the brilliant "La Folie" and the more experimental "The Meninblack." The punk era has now given way to more varied artistic expressions, and even for The Stranglers, the energy and adrenaline-fueled races of the beginnings already seem a distant memory. However, they have not settled anywhere; they have simply continued their sound exploration with a keen eye on what was happening around them. 

So why not invent an album like this, so nocturnal, velvety, yet at the same time so enigmatic, inaccessible at first listens, as the semi-recited incipit of "Evening Summer Dream" clearly suggests: soft keyboards, almost whispered voice, and a rhythm section serving six minutes of meditative atmosphere. Many early followers remain puzzled; "Feline" is undoubtedly different from anything conceived before by our band. The total absence of electric guitars, replaced by acoustic ones, is immediately noticeable, but even the drums have virtually been left in the basement, in favor of pads and drum machines; a peculiarity that could not be the result of chance, but of an undoubtedly courageous choice, especially for those times: that of bringing together acoustic and electronic without going through electric.

The coordinates shift from tracks dealing with themes of travel, love, and discovery, such as "Ships That Pass In The Night", "Let's Tango in Paris", or the more hermetic "All Roads Lead To Rome", where Greenfield's magical keyboards set the main scene, replacing the lost verve with dreamy atmospheric melodies. One wonders where, screams and guitars apart, those creative impulses that had graced the quartet until recently have gone, but at the same time, one can get lost, and over time be charmed in this new play of balances made of electronics and whispers, in a perpetual late-night scenario. The little masterpiece is undoubtedly "European Female", which musically encapsulates the entire spirit of the work, aided by its discreet electronics and a Spanish-hearted essence that emerges from the skillful touches of acoustic guitar. The video made for it is also emblematic, with the group in black attire in a cold underground, now dealing with a sinuous female presence, now with a roaring black panther. Two sides of the same coin, after all. Perhaps here lies the explanation of the aesthetics and genesis of an intentionally "womanly" album: elegant, refined, and enveloping yet at the same time icy and mysterious in its electronic guise and without the anchorage of the so familiar electric guitars; an album that never fully reveals itself until it receives a truly attentive listening.

In conclusion, "Feline" is not to be recommended to someone who deliberately approaches The Stranglers for the first time; they would certainly be misled; there are other works that have consecrated the group in the music hall of fame, particularly the first four albums. But "Feline", in its peculiarity, should still be remembered as a pleasantly successful new wave experiment. That's why I recommend it to everyone else, even to those, not among the acolytes, who are seeking something soft, enigmatic, and fascinating, whether it be music, a woman, or... a large feline.