The veteran punks have returned with their 15th studio album and probably produced their best record for nearly 20 years.

Produced by Mark Wallis and Dave Ruffy, the men in black have gone back to their original sound. Jean-Jacques Burnel has lost none of his aggressive bass-playing ability and is joined by new guitarist Baz Warne, while Dave Greenfields keyboard skills keep the band on track and Paul Roberts snarls his way through the 11 tracks.

Norfolk Coast is a throwback to times gone by - 1978 revisited. The lyrics cover the usual topical grounds but the music has rediscovered the punk/pop sound which pushed the Stranglers to the forefront in the late Seventies.

The sands of time may have caught many an ageing rocker trying to produce another comeback, but not this time. Listen once and you will enjoy it, listen two or three times and you will love it and be left looking forward to the next album.

Updated: 09:01 Thursday, February 19, 2004