Tim Burgess
I Love The New Sky

The solo adventure of Tim Burgess from the Charlatans reaches its fifth episode.

Unlike his previous works, this is the first true solo album in every sense for the hairy frontman, who composed all the songs in the countryside (Norfolk) with his faithful acoustic guitar (in previous albums, he had always relied on numerous collaborators, such as Kurt Wagner from Lambchop, Peter Gordon, Debbie Googe, and others).

Now in his fifties, good old Tim has always kept himself busy with the most diverse projects: owner of a record label ("O Genesis"), coordinator of the now popular and unmissable #timstwitterlisteningparty (often filled with high-profile guests), and also a writer. In short, never idle.

The new album "I Love The New Sky" is, therefore, quintessentially "burgessian"; on guitar, we find the faithful Mark Collins, a companion in adventures also in the Charlatans, while Daniel O'Sullivan (Grumbling Fur) plays drums and piano, in addition to producing. Burgess positions himself openly in a no man's land between Paul McCartney of "RAM" and Brian Eno of "Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)", crafting an album that ultimately stands among the best and most inspired of his now long and illustrious career.

Opened by the single "Empathy For The Devil," which not only evokes the Stones in the title but also evidently quotes "Boys Don’t Cry" in the crystal-clear guitar intro, the new work is an authentic forge of ideas and atmospheres that perfectly blend into a sound that is both classic and fresh. Burgess is in top form and delivers one after another some of his most successful melodies ever, like the splendid "Sweetheart Mercury" or "Warhol Me," the latter in clear Bowie territory.

In some episodes, old Tim shows he has an eye for the new generations, from whom he humbly draws inspiration: the second single, "The Mall" (an amazing piece, one of the best released this year) is very close to the debated Arctic Monkeys of "Tranquility Base," just as "Comme D'Habitude" digs back further and pays homage to the legendary Sparks.

In short, an outstanding album that consecrates a figure so far too underestimated in the rock scene across the Channel. It's time to give Tim Burgess what belongs to Tim Burgess.

Best track: Sweetheart Mercury