On the – unlucky for some – 13th studio album by The Charlatans, Cheshire-cat Tim Burgess appears, appropriately enough, to be grinning from ear to ear. Possibly tempting fate even further, the 13 tracks are largely expansive and optimistic in tone. For a band that have followed the Stones’ template of losing the occasional member while indulging in farcical acts of hedonism – notoriously blowing coke up each other’s arses at one point (the white powder variety) – they have weathered many a storm and are currently basking in a sunshine-state of joyful serenity.
Co-produced with Jim Spencer at their own studio, the band have augmented their reduced lineup with some local and not-so-local talent. Johnny ‘Hardest Working Man In Showbiz’ Marr dropped in for a cup of tea and wasn’t allowed to leave before contributing to three tracks, while New Order’s Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris provide synth and drums respectively. The wonderful Sharon Horgan even gets to air a fine set of pipes on title track ‘Different Days’. Further spice has been added by the likes of Ian Rankin, Anton Newcombe and Kurt Wagner.
The mood is largely upbeat, belied, but only slightly, by the wistfully elegiac closer ‘Spinning Out’. We’ll blame Paul Weller for that, as it was co-written by him. Whether channelling Duran Duran on ’Plastic Machinery’ or The Stone Roses on ‘There Will Be Chances’, The Charlatans continue to carve their own unique musical path – and their longevity is a testament to the fact that they’re still doing something right.
Out May 26 / Sam Steiger