During their tumultuous career, The Charlatans have been written off at every turn. In the early-90s, critics pegged them as Madchester hangers-on, trailing in The Stone Roses’ wake (the fact that The Charlatans were not actually from Manchester was a trifling detail). Next, Britpop barged in, and the band was portrayed as less talented also-rans behind Blur and Oasis.
The Charlatans were also prematurely written off when their career was blighted by death, prison, fire, cancer and financial ruin. And yet, throughout all of this, one fact was overlooked: the music was ear-meltingly marvellous. From baggy pop (Some Friendly) and stoner rock (Up To Our Hips) to Dylanism (Us And Us Only) and electro (Wonderland); each album took The Charlatans on a new journey.
But, in 2004, even the music went awry. Up At The Lake was well below-par, and then the unconvincing white-boy reggae of Simpatico made even die-hard fans write the band off.
Frankly, they should have known better.
You Cross My Path is the sound of The Charlatans fighting back and saving the day again. This time, the sound is best described as New Order-meets-shoegaze. Everything must have gone green for Bernard Sumner when he first heard his own melodies being trumped on ‘Oh! Vanity’ and his Get Ready riffs being aced on the title track. Meanwhile, fans of Mercy Arms will adore the swirling guitar drone of ‘Bird’, which also features a “lead bass” that Peter Hook would have been proud of.
Quick, someone tell Howard Moon and Vince Noir: The Charlatans have found The Funk again.
Article by Andy McLean. Copyright held by author.
Originally published in The Brag, Sydney, 2008.
You Cross My Path is available through Cooking Vinyl
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