The Charlatans
made a surprising comeback in 1995, turning in an eponymous album that earned them their best reviews and sales ever.
Tellin' Stories
, the follow-up to
, should have been triumphant, but tragedy struck midway through its recording, when keyboardist
Rob Collins
was killed in a car accident.
Collins
was an integral part of the band's lineup, creating a distinctive, swirling,
neo-psychedelic
sound, and it seemed unlikely that the band could carry on without him, much less record a record as earthy and warm as
.
Primal Scream
's
Martin Duffy
volunteered to help the band complete the album, which was basically written before
' death, and that might explain why there are no overt references to his absence anywhere on the album. Instead,
is another collection of classicist
rock & roll
spiked with
dance
beats, much like any other
Charlatans
album. Where its predecessor was more informed by mechanized beats, the rhythms are more organic, which perfectly suits the rolling
"North Country Boy,"
the sweeping
"One to Another,"
and the heart-tugging
"How Can You Leave Us?"
And, like any other
album, it doesn't quite hold together, falling apart with instrumentals and ill-conceived songs toward the end. On the whole, however,
is more consistent than their earlier records, and the best songs showcase the band at its strongest, which is quite an achievement considering the traumas
the Charlatans
underwent during its recording. More than anything, that's a fitting salute to
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine