"Synchronicity" is the last studio album of The Police. The band was riding a huge wave of artistic and commercial success. Its rock with reggae sounds, carried by experienced musicians, met the adhesion of the crowds from the beginning of its very short career. The alliance of direct rock and light reggae influences is then the trademark of the British trio. A formula from which this fifth album frees itself largely by integrating an orchestration and arrangements much more complex than what The Police had accustomed us.
Therefore, "Synchronicity" is certainly the album of the British that has best crossed the time. It must be said that the production is first class, allowing tracks like 'Synchronicity II' and 'Walking In Your Footsteps' to sound with clarity and energy. The production work is a little marvel which allows to emphasize as well the instrumental complexity as the limpidity of the trio, each musician being very distinctly recognizable and his interventions highlighted. This benefits in particular Stewart Copeland who, if he composes only one track ('Miss Gradenko'), is omnipresent and distils his precise and varied rhythms throughout this album, with for highlight the inhuman final of the bonus track, 'Murder By Numbers'.
Overall, "Synchronicity" is brighter than its predecessor. And except for the tortured and delirious 'Mothers', written and declaimed by a hysterical Andy Summers, most of the tracks have a soothing side born from a mix of unstoppable melodies and airy sounds. It is in particular the case of 'Tea In The Sahara' and 'Wrapped Around Your Finger' which have this sensitivity and this sweetness. The quality of composition and writing that Sting shows here denotes a clear leap forward on his part in this field. Relying more extensively than in the past on the use of synthesizers, he creates pieces that manage to be very accessible while exhaling singular and strong atmospheres.
Well beyond the mega hit 'Every Breath You Take', this major record has a unifying musical sensibility that allowed him to meet a very large audience. Unfortunately, it will be the swan song of a band whose short career is out of proportion with its impact on the musical color of the early 80s.