The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge (1983)

   Even though The Chameleons didn't gain so wide attention like other post punk bands in the '80s, they still had stable fan circle, and counted as a respected band.
   Their debut showed strong similarities with the late style of The Cure, except their music wasn't so intensively demoralizing. Of course their soft, calming melodies are not about to reflect the small joys of life, but shrouding the listener into the mist of strong melancholy like most post punk music did. Lyrics about inner struggles, sorrow and loneliness are assisting to the depression. On the side of the downbreaking gloom there is always something that not allows to merge too deep. Their music isn't so monotonously repetitive like in the case of The Cure for instance. Some catchy melodies or interesting musical solutions are frequently interrupting, and the main atmosphere isn't so dark either. It sounds like The Chameleons tried to stay on some middle way by their music (according to the main tendencies of this style of course), and maybe this was responsible for their moderate effectiveness at the audience, though "Script of the Bridge" is an excellent album and could nicely define the main features of the style.