New Traditionalism: “Outlandos d’Amour” by The Police (1978)

The Police grew out of the growing new wave genre at the end of the 1970’s, beginning of the 80’s. “Outlandish d’Amour” is their debut album and is considered one of the best debut albums of all time, despite the fact that its initial reception wasn’t great.

Like most new wave groups, The Police used punk elements in their songs, while infusing more listenable aspects, as well. For example, many of their songs on this album have a catchy hook, repetitive lyrics, and smooth harmonies. Fast-paced, repeating riffs, and heavy drums, typical of punk, manifest in songs like “Next To You,” “Peanuts,” and “Truth Hits Everybody.” But, these elements aren’t seen on all of their songs.

Some of the songs on this album display the artistry new wave aimed to incorporate. For example, on “Hole In My Life,” “Roxanne,” and “Can’t Stand Losing You” we can see clear examples of artistic experimentation. This innovation is seen especially on “Be My Girl – Sally.” On this track, The Police utilized spoken word in the middle of the song.

Another typical element found in most songs by The Police is a reggae-infused vibe, created by using reggae style rhythms, and occasionally, sounds. This is evident in songs like “So Lonely” and “Masoko Tango.”

The lyrics in the songs on “Outlandos d’Amour” often maintain the ironic and intellectual aesthetic that new wave music captured. For example, “Roxanne” talks about a man loving a prostitute, which is ironic because that’s not usually what one thinks of when imagining any kind of relationship with a hooker. On the other hand, “Born in the 50’s” has lyrics that are politically aware, talking about the kind of things baby boomers experience growing up, seen through a critical lens.

Overall, this is an excellent album and a prime example of new wave’s diversity. Sting’s high tenor voice compliments the music nicely and makes The Police stand out from other new wave groups. Although the album was relatively short, it still encompassed a wide variety of expressive songs.