So Lonely

The Police

So easy to forget Sting was once the front man of a truly great rock ‘n roll band and OUTLANDOS d’AMOUR is their masterful debut from ‘78.

They had an interesting sound out of the gate — I’m sure it felt new at the time — because it isn’t really punk, and pop elements are lurking, percolating. The percussion and drumming are, of course, off the charts. But mostly I love how Sting’s voice is always sort of veering out of control — like they were settling for take ones in the studio. The polish would come later, but it’s not here.

The record gave us their #1 single ROXANNE and I love this album for its energy and melody. It’s a CLASH kind of energy that we hear in Next To You, Can’t Stand Losing You, Hole in My life and this beauty. Literally all desperate love songs for the rejected and heartbroken that will actually cheer you up instead of make you feel worse. 💔😄 Great video too — where Sting is already showing off his acting skills. And I’m also detecting a kind of Thom Yorke vibe which honestly really surprised me.