title: Strange Boutique (album)
text: # Strange Boutique (album)
  
  Strange Boutique is the debut studio album by English band The Monochrome Set. It was released in 1980, through record label Dindisc.
  
  ## Track listing
  
  All tracks are written by Bid except where noted.
  
  ## Release
  
  The album reached number 62 on the UK Albums Chart.
  
  ## Critical reception
  
  Professional ratings :
  
  | Review scores ||
  | - | - |
  | Source | Rating |
  | AllMusic | |
  | Smash Hits | 6/10 |
  
  Writing for Smash Hits in 1980, Red Starr, in a mixed review, described Strange Boutique as "virtually impossible to pigeonhole. Starr described the lyrics as an "odd mixture of amusing fantasy and sudden seriousness". Starr finished by saying the album was "light, modern and attractive, but difficult to take too seriously".
  
  AllMusic gave the album a mildly favourable review, writing "amid the austerity of post-punk England, and before we became awash with irony and archness, we needed a band who could raise their eyebrows and smirk at it all without ever being condescending (or maybe only a little bit condescending)."
  
  ## Personnel
  
  ### The Monochrome Set
  
  * Bid – lead vocals, guitar
  * Lester Square – lead guitar, vocals
  * Andy Warren – bass guitar, vocals
  * J.D. Haney – drums, percussion, vocals
  
  ### Technical
  
  * Bob Sargeant – keyboards, vocals, production
  * Alvin "2 Shades" Clark – engineering
  * Peter Saville, The Monochrome Set - cover design
  