They may never be the hippest band in the world, but The Charlatans are certainly one of the most consistent around - amazing really, when you consider how they were often considered as lightweight also-rans during the Madchester era that made their name.
The forthcoming Simpatico album is the band's ninth, and if Blackened Blue Eyes is anything to go by, it won't leave fans disappointed. It's an atmospheric, rather dramatic mid-paced number, powered along by a funky riff, with Tim Burgess sounding no different than he did back in 1991. The lyrics hint at a dark underbelly - there's talk of "a world of random prostitues" - but that piano keeps things upbeat.
OK, it may not be one of their catchiest singles, but it oozes class - business as usual then, and it all bodes very well indeed for Simpatico.
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