Tim Burgess
Only A Boy

Any direction that navigates a different route to The Charlatans is surely the road to pick, so breathe a sigh of relief that Tim Burgess is turning out daylight-infused celebrations with shrill vocals. It sure beats turgid, unevolved indie from Northwich.

That helium voice does take some acclimatisation, but afterwards all that remains to admire is a timeless effort that’s retro in all the right ways.

The B-sides, however, may give owners of Burgess’ album cause to avoid this. ‘Wait ’Til The Sun Shines Irie’ is a dreadful reggae-funk abortion, and while ‘Rough Time’ is more of an unpolished gem, Burgess’ vocals could be a mite troubling to any nearby stray dogs.