The album marked a significant reduction in the reggae influences that were a part of the band's first four records, instead featuring production-heavy textures and liberal use of synthesizers that, at times, drove entire songs ("Synchronicity I", "Wrapped Around Your Finger"). The influence of world music can also be heard in songs such as "Tea in the Sahara" and "Walking in Your Footsteps". As opposed to the band's previous effort, "Ghost In The Machine", the songs are much sparser, with less overdubbing, more akin to the trio feel and the band's aesthetic of "less is more". Sting elaborates on this: