The Charlatans - 'Up At The Lake' (Universal-Island)
4/5
By: Matt Tomiak
The world's changed a fair bit since The Charlatans first hit the charts way back in June 1990 with Hammond-soaked, perennial indie-disco fave 'The Only One I Know'. The Cold War had been over for less than 12 months. Nelson Mandela was enjoying life as a free man for the first time in over 27 years. Phrases such as 'Eat my shorts' and 'Don't Have A Cow, Man' entered international lexicon thanks to the emergence of a previously cult cartoon show about a hilariously dysfunctional American family. And England swooned to a portly little Geordie fellow called Paul Gascogine who set the football world alight at the World Cup in Italy before bursting into tears and endearing himself yet further.
Yup, The Charlies have been around a fair old while. Having endured members' deaths, diseases, financial turmoil, frontman Tim Burgess' relocation to California and spending the best part of the '90s struggling to emulate the success of the aforementioned monster-anthem, they've matured into one of the UK's most dependable acts and finest Brit singles bands of the last couple of decades.
'Up At The Lake', studio album number eight, is quite possibly the boys' most consistently engaging yet; dynamic and reflective in equal measure, there isn't a duff track in sight. We see the glam-tinged elation of the title-track and 'As I Watch You In Disbelief', with Tim in brash Mick Jagger mode ('I pack a punch like I was seventeen'), alongside '60s homages and the mandatory loving Dylan tribute ('I'll Sing A Hymn').
Yet the dance tip of 2001's righteously funky 'Wonderland' is retained, most effectively on the hip-swiveling dance-floor workout of 'Feel The Pressure'. There's also reassuring evidence that Burgess' glitzy LA lifestyle hasn't fully eroded his way with a homespun Brit lyric, announcing sweetly in 'Bona Fide Treasure' that 'you're the cheese on top of my toast.'
Clearly, The Charlatans of 2004 sound relaxed, confident and bursting with positivity. In its entirety, 'Up At The Lake' marks the sound of a band relishing a new lease of life after braving so much. Here's to the next fourteen years.
Artists in this article: The Charlatans
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