The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come

Originally released in 1987, Strangeways, Here We Come stands as the final studio transmission from The Smiths. Working alongside producer Stephen Street, the band created their most "hand-crafted" and sonically ambitious record, boasting a fuller, more sophisticated production than its predecessors. While the tension that would eventually lead to their dissolution was mounting, Morrissey and Marr labored intensely to expand the band's boundaries, resulting in a high-contrast masterpiece that remains the highest-charting album of their career.

The album is a skilled summary of the group's considerable strengths, balancing dark wit with lush, melodic arrangements. From the muscular confidence of "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" to the infectious, tongue-in-cheek pop of "Girlfriend in a Coma," the record explores a wide emotional spectrum. It also contains some of their most iconic "mood" pieces, such as the rhythmic drive of "Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before" and the fragile, acoustic intimacy of the closing track, "I Won't Share You."