Madness: The Liberty of Norton Fulgate

May 17 2009 by Paul Cole, Sunday Mercury

MADNESS

The Liberty Of Norton Fulgate

(Lucky Seven)

wWITH The Specials reunion making headlines around the world, Madness are back to reclaim their spot at the top of the 2-Tone table. Their first original material in 10 years visits all the band’s styles of old – the upbeat (Dust Devil), downbeat (Sugar And Spice) and zany (Bingo) with Suggs’s clever lyrics centred on modern-day living. This isn’t a band cashing in on past glories, more one making songs as original as at any point in their 30-year career. The 10-minute title track is a highlight, rounding off what might just be their strongest release yet. JD