★★★☆☆
The Charlatans are one of Britain’s oldest and most revered indie rock bands, but the death of drummer Jon Brookes in 2013 gave their newest LP a tragic backdrop. The band, however, appears to have responded positively, and their latest offering is an overwhelmingly hopeful experience.
This optimism is felt most on the seventh track, the six minute long ‘Let the Good Times Be Never Ending’; if its title doesn’t make this obvious, the gospel backing vocals and horns, recalling the band’s Manchester roots, will certainly do so. It is by no means the best thing here – the bridge in particular sounds very dated – but it’s a good approximation of their brighter outlook on this record.
Elsewhere, what we get is pretty standard fare – whirring organs interpolated with punching basslines. But there is plenty to admire, particularly the opening track. ‘Talking in Tones’ poignantly reminds us of the loss of Brookes, whilst also evoking the album’s spirit of positivity. Elsewhere, the hazy, mellow production and catchy melodies continue this theme, with fairly successful results, although there are moments of dull love-song filler – ‘Emilie’ being guilty of this.
For the most part, the band meet their aims here, and while Modern Nature is far from perfect, the atmosphere and strong songwriting are testament to the consistency of a band now approaching the 25th anniversary of its formation.
