The Charlatans (officially Charlatans UK here in the U.S. to differentiate from Dan Hicks’ old band) –  Underrated, underrated, underrated.  The lads from Manchester have had an eventful career and they’ve overcome hurdles that would have tripped a hundred other groups.  No American band sounds like them. Britpop bands owe them a debt.

They dropped by Webster Hall on November 10, 2015 on the ante-penultimate date of their American tour.

I spoke with Tim Burgess about the difficult days of drummer Jon Brookes’ cancer and death in the summer of 2013.  In a way that recalls Temple of The Dog who were grieving the death of Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone, they responded to the loss of a friend like the true artists they are.   Modern Nature is one of the finest of the year and certain to sit aside other Charlatans records with legs like Some Friendly (which was released 25 years and one month before this gig) and their third album, 1994’s Up To Our Hips.

Burgess became a father around the time Brookes passed away and the songs are imbued with acceptance of the latter tempered by the hope of the former.  He agreed when I said the album sounded effortless but added, with a smile, that it was effortful as well.  No doubt.