After an exceptionally turbulent career, The Charlatans have somehow survived to become one of the best-loved indie bands in Britain. Full credit to them - but whether their frontman Tim Burgess is wise to embark on a solo career is open to question. Now resident in Los Angeles, the mouthy Mancunian has embraced Californian soul and ditched his trademark whine for a country twang, punctured by the occasional full-blown falsetto. I Believe is a heartfelt tribute to both his new home and his new wife, a breezy collection of rootsy tunes that owes an obvious debt to the ghosts of Bob Dylan and Gram Parsons. Sadly, the end result is pretty unconvincing, largely because of Burgess's lightweight songwriting and a distinct lack of decent melodies. A worthy experiment - but frankly, a new Charlies album would be far more welcome.
