江湖郎中合唱团

The Charlatans demonstrated signs of a revival on Up to Our Hips, yet that record in no way suggested the full-fledged return to form of The Charlatans [UK], the group's most ambitious, focused and successful album. The group hasn't changed its sonic approach, yet their music has deepened, incorporating heavy dance elements without losing their core sound. Occasionally, the album relies too heavily on trippy dance instrumentals, but those are funkier and wilder than ever before, and they fit neatly next to the group's Stonesy pop, which is consistently catchy this time around. The Charlatans [UK] illustrates how a working rock & roll band can balance between traditional rock and modern, post-acid house music, and the results are frequently glorious.