Brothers In Arms (40th Anniversary)

The rockers' fifth album perfectly blends pop nous with rock experimentation. Brothers In Arms contains plenty of the virtuoso playing and slow-burning inventiveness that made their name, but an opening salvo of radio-ready melodies leavens the mix. “So Far Away” is lovely, lovelorn blues-rock, an iconic and “Walk of Life”’s ballpark boogie is irresistibly chipper. It’s a blend of the instant and atmospheric rarely matched in stadium-sized ’80s rock.