For a man widely touted as leader of a very British group, I Believe is the absolute confirmation of how Tim Burgess has well and truly turned into a true blue sun-kissed Californian. Just one minute into his solo debut and he is making it abundantly clear that he believes in the West Coast and California soul. So much for the city, especially if it’s in Northern England and rains all the time.
Burgess has written the last two Charlatans albums from his LA base with mixed results. Wonderland was a patchy effort, seeing Tim over-indulge a Curtis Mayfield obsession with some excruciating falsettos. I Believe is an immense improvement, even if it takes a while to find its groove. It’s an album of two halves that starts shakily and ends terrifically.
Tim mightn’t be a lyrical genius, but you can’t help but be moved by his boundless wide-eyed optimism. After enduring the pain of loosing a best friend and band mate in Rob Collins, he has found true love. What is so inspiring is that not only does he want to share it, but he eggs us all along to live a little more happily. “There is no need for all of you to feel frightened,” he soothes on the excellent ‘Say Yes’, wishing joy to “all the children of the world.” Even if you don’t dig the tunes, you’ve got to love the man’s big, big heart.
I can’t see I Believe getting an enormous amount of rotation on my stereo, but I’ve definitely got a lot of a time for a guy who just doesn’t just say “spread the love”, but actually does just that. Respect more than due.