The Charlatans were a band that bucked the trend of ' hangers on' at the height of the 'madchester' scene.
When first single 'Indian Rope' was unleashed it wowed me. They continued to deliver such corkers as 'Sproston green', 'Weirdo' and 'Telling Stories' and have consistently put out solid albums for the last decade.
The band has not been without its troubles over the years but have always got through it. Nowadays I struggle to see the relevance in what they do. The opening bars of new single 'blackened...', the unmistakeable hammond/piano intro and trademark guitar haven't really moved the band on at all in terms of sound.
If you hadnt seen the cd sleeve you would know it was them for sure. Tim Burgess' seems to be sounding more nasally by the day and might of been getting some lessons from a certain Mr Gallagher. There's a feel of treading water and settling for the fact that they have such a fanbase they dont need to challenge themselves anymore.
Dont get me wrong its not a terrible record, maybe it will stand the test of time against today's indie angular upstarts. I just struggle to see the relevance in what they do anymore. For more information you can visit: http://www.thecharlatans.net
