Tim Burgess
I Believe

I wondered for years if I was the only fool in Italy who appreciated the Charlatans and who even bought everything they released on the market, including this solo adventure by the leader Tim Burgess, who joins the ranks of Manchester's countless "alone with everybody" (Morrissey, Ian Brown, John Squire, Richard Ashcroft, etc.).
The album is soaked with the personal story of that naive boy from the northern English countryside, who went from being a sex symbol in the early '90s, with his look somewhat reminiscent of a young Mick Jagger, to international success troubled by the band's vicissitudes, leading to the imprisonment of the keyboardist and his demise a few years later in a car accident. Then the rebirth towards the end of the '90s, followed by the singer's move to California, with his life partner. This very event suggested to the band the idea of taking a reflective pause during which Burgess decided to do something on his own.

From the very first notes of this CD, you can sense the different atmosphere in which the singer lives, far from the dreary rain of his English countryside origins, in the sunny and carefree California.
An almost '70s West Coast sound, with songs sung in falsetto that the very recent Burgess is so fond of, like the debut track that titles the album "I Believe", perhaps one of the best pieces.
"We All Need Love" is a slow song to listen to on the beach at night or to strum on the guitar around a fire with friends.
On the other hand, "Only A Boy" is lovely, also in falsetto, marking the boundary line with the pop roots of the north country boy TB.
"Say Yes" is a song that finds meaning only if, in life, at least once, one has perceived the magical atmosphere of that stretch of coast that runs from Santa Monica to Monterey. How distant seems the time when the Charlatans sang "The Only One I Love" with that baggy rhythm that made you jump...

Even though I have a soft spot for Tim Burgess, I can only give him one star for the album and another for the affection I feel for him. The album, in reality, while being enjoyable and offering points for reflection, lacks originality and freshness and rather than bringing the cheerfulness of the west American sun, evokes nostalgia for times past.

For those who instead want to listen to the Charlatans (overcoming the embarrassment of the non-self-promotional name), I recommend "Tellin' Stories", an album that is already 6 years old but is the one that has aged the least in their rich discography.

Dear Tim, tomatoes grow in Sicily. If you plant them in Helsinki, they might not grow, or if they do, they taste of nothing. The habitat has a certain importance...

Uprooted.