September 17, 2010

Album Review: The Charlatans - Who We Touch
The Charlatans Tickets

Madchester vets fail to keep the momentum going on album number eleven

5 / 10 Twenty years since their debut album ‘Some Friendly’ catapulted the Northwich upstarts right to the top of the UK charts, The Charlatans have cemented their status as the most durable of their Madchester-era peers. Buoyed by a surge of interest in their anniversary shows, ‘Who We Touch’ should be their moment to gambol over to the spotlight and shine. It starts well, with ‘Love Is Ending’ kicking in with a firestorm of Buzzcocks guitars and a power-pop chorus. Once the dust dies down, though, the remainder of ‘Who We Touch’ feels disappointingly timid in comparison, and the particularly saggy middle section sees them pitch their tent smack bang in the middle of the road.

Tom Edwards

Click here to get your copy of The Charlatans'
'Who We Touch' from Rough Trade Shops.