Alma Mater

The sole album by Stockholm Monsters, 1984’s Peter Hook-produced Alma Mater, remains a too-little-known delight, a gem in both the story of Manchester of the era and its label Factory Records as well as post-punk/synth-influenced rock of the decade. The eclectic combination of talent on display, including guitarist Tony France’s dry yet yearning vocals, the trumpet of Lindsay Anderson and the excellent and deeply underrated drumming of Shan Hira, turn up trumps on stately songs like “Decalogue,” “Where I Belong,” “Life’s Two Faces” and “E.W.”