Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

In the Album "Wonderland," The Charlatans UK have developed a new sound out of a dead style. They began as an uncelebrated addition to the Madchester genre but now have become the only surviving members. Madchester was a dominant British rock style in the late 80's and early 90's distinguished by a fusion of acid-house dance rhythms and melodic pop with loping beats, psychedelic flourishes and catchy choruses. The style was also referred to as "baggy" since the bands wore baggy clothes most of the time. The album is a highly optimistic and energetic piece of work.

The Charlatans UK have had a bumpy past full of problems that would otherwise cause a collapse but instead, they have persevered and grown. Starting with no label and a forced name change since a band from the 60's already held claim to the name. Then their first guitarist quit, their bassist had a bout with severe depression, Madchester became obsolete, the new guitarist was arrested for assisting in an armed robbery, which caused them to be banned from a US tour, and now their keyboardist has cancer. Despite the setbacks, they have remained determined to prove their profundity in musical evolution.

"You're So Pretty – We're So Pretty" opens up the album with a synthesized piano and a heavy whomp whomp of a bass. Then comes a Tim Burgesses breath-filled pasty vocal. This is one of the only songs he doesn't go full out falsetto somewhere in the song. He sounds like a British version of Prince for a good deal of the album. "Judas" is a funky dance song about finding love, and so is "Love is the Key." Their single "A Man Needs to be Told" is a softer acoustic ballad that features a slide guitar, and a backing chorus. 'The Bell and the Butterfly" is an impressive techno dance mix. The melody is played upon an over-driven bass while the backbeat is a mixture of modern and psychedelic beats and sonances.

The Charlatans UK Wonderland is filled with jingles, jangles, whomps, thumps, and endless beats. This is definitely a commercially successful album and is seeing quite a lot of press attention. I wouldn't say it's very innovative, but it does have its technical complexity here and there. Since I have a low tolerance for cheerful, light hearted music (a deep brooder am I), I give it 3 ½ stars.