UK ska veterans Madness have released their latest studio album, Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie, via BMG. Stream the record via Apple Music or Spotify below.
Spanning 14 tracks, Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is truly a theatrical affair, with a spoken word prologue and several different “acts” occurring between the songs, all performed by actor (and longtime fan) Martin Freeman. As for the music itself, Madness brought the album to life as a collaborative effort, recording together alongside engineer and mixer, Matt Galsbey, in Cricklewood, London.
“Well, well, well, here we are… our 13th album (lucky for some),” the band said in a statement. “Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is ready for your ears. For us, recording it was the perfect antidote to the chaos of the past few years — we were all there, properly in the zone. It was just us, in an industrial unit in Cricklewood, playing together. We loved it!”
Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is the first album by Madness since 2016’s Can’t Touch Us Now. The album is available to stream today, and is also offered on vinyl, CD, and cassette formats, with orders ongoing.
Up next, Madness is set to close out 2023 with a UK tour, kicking off in Aberdeen on November 30th, and wrapping in Birmingham on December 16th. Grab tickets here.
Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie Artwork:
Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie Tracklist:
01. Theatre of the Absurd
02. If I Go Mad
03. Baby Burglar
04. C’est La Vie
05. What on Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)
06. Hour of Need
07. Round We Go
08. Lockdown and Frack Off
09. Beginners 101
10. Is There Anybody Out There?
11. The Law According to Dr. Kippah
12. Run for Your Life
13. Set Me Free (Let Me Be)
14. In My Street