The Monochrome Set were a breed apart from the other outfits in the UK post-punk scene they grew out of. For starters, they were nowhere near austere or gloomy enough; if anything, they seemed to be having fun. Released in February 1980, debut Strange Boutique established many of the band’s signature motifs right off the bat. The groovy 60s sound, the snappy hooks and the smart-arse lyrics are all in place.
Side Two opener Love Goes Down The Drain is as quintessential a 2 minutes, 27 seconds as you could possibly expect. Follow-up Love Zombies was released at the butt end of the same year, and serves up more of the same wonderfully sardonic frippery, including the crazed The Man With The Black Moustache.
8/10
Gary Tipp