Fronted by Monica Richards (Faith & The Muse) back in the 1980's-1990's in D.C., this "punk" band is heralded as the "best kept secret" of the 'scene' in it's day. During Strange Boutique's celebrated stretch, they released one EP, three full length albums, two singles and one live album. They amassed a loyal underground following, perfected their onstage presence, and honed their distinctive sound. They also toured Europe with Killing Joke. I first heard of Strange Boutique with my exposure to Faith & The Muse, which most of you know is Monica and William Faith (Christian Death and other projects), and often wondered what Monica's vocals would sound like fronting a punk band. As it turns out I don't find this as much punk as I do post-punk goth-rock for the 80's American scene. To me the most obvious comparison with the overall sound of Strange Boutique would have to be Souixsie & The Banshees as there are many similar qualities to the musical construction and if you've heard Monica's vocals you will comprehend both the similarities and differences. I'm very happy that Metropolis Records decided to release this compilation composed of songs from every Strange Boutique album and also some hard to find material, which as the CD cover states, displays a full spectrum of their work to new listeners as well as some gems fro the long-ordained. An excellent collection for those of us who somehow missed this excellent project back in the time when it was previously available. Monica Richards is an amazing vocal talent well worth the ears of artistic minds.