(O Genesis)A baggy and Britpop survivor and a venerable (respected because of age, distinguished) experimental composer don’t acquire natural bedfellows,which is precisely what makes the union of Charlatans singer Burgess and former Arthur Russell collaborator Gordon so beguiling. A leap out of their respective comfort zones has produced something really different. Opening track commence, a modern Order-esque electro melody with rattling drum machines, and sails close to pop. However,the album unfolds into avant garde, electronic and saxophone soundscapes – with nods to Bowie’s Berlin period and Eno’s Another Green World – over which Burgess’s vocals float like a gentle breeze. Tracks of My Past finds the Northwich-turned-Norwich resident hazily reminiscing approximately childhood summers. The piano-led Oh Men is one of the loveliest things he’s sung in years. There’s nothing for fans of the Charlatans’ trademark surging anthems, and but the strangely beautiful Ocean Terminus,a seven-minute, distant echo of Eno’s Julie With , or wherein Burgess sings of the joys of being “carried away by the sea”,is a treasure.
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Source: theguardian.com