Burgess solo star shines bright.
Derek Gordon | Brighton, MA United States | 10/28/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As a fan of The Charlatans since 1990 one would think my opinion on this album would be quite biased. In all actuality, however, I find myself very critical of each new Charlatans release due mostly to memories of times past in the heyday of the early 90s britpop scene with such releases as "Some Friendly", "Between 10th & 11th" and "Up To Our Hips". In other words, it usually takes me some time to settle into a new Charlatans album.Since "I Believe" is Tim Burgess' first solo effort and not another Charlatans release I allowed myself to realize this and just keep an open mind going into my first listen and expect anything. And I was delighted to say the least."I Believe" is without a doubt the best album I've picked up this year and is truly a solo album. This is not The Charlatans and I'm strangely happy about that. The music ranges with quite a variety with "I Believe In The Spirit" sounding as if it was written on a drive through the old routes of the southwestern U.S. in a 70s era Cadillac ragtop. A very "on the road" sort of feel to it. Track 2 "Held In Straps" has a similar feel but is much more up tempo. Great breakdown in the middle of this tune as well. "Only A Boy" sounds a bit like a cross between "I Believe" and The Charlatans last release "Wonderland" if only for the falsetto element. A damned fine song with one hell of a melody. It also marks the beginning of my favourite string of songs in the album. It's followed by "We All Need Love" which is one of the most incredible ballads I've heard in recent years and, in the opinion of this writer, possesses a sort of Elliott Smith undertone. Very crisp and airy chorus.Next up is "Oh My Corazon" which was my favorite on the first listen. Great pop beat with acoustic guitar and a rock-n-roll chorus. The lyrics, as always with Tim Burgess, are out of this world. One last track I'd like to mention is "Say Yes" as it stirs a nice little element of disco (dare I say it) into the mix and it works phenominally.I could go on forever but I don't fancy myself as much of a writer and would rather not do any more damage. Do yourself a favour if you're up for something great and shell out the extra bucks for this import. If you love The Charlatans then you need to pick this up. This fan of the lads from Northwich is very, very impressed. Let's hope some of this inspiration flows to the next Charlatans release!"
