Charlatans

You Cross My Path is the tenth album from Madchester survivors the Charlatans, but it’s the first one they’ve given away. You Cross is available in its entirety as a free download, and unless you’re one of those hardcore types, this isn’t an album good enough to warrant buying a physical copy of. The Charlatans were certainly due — a couple of forgettable albums aside, their last notable release was 2001’s underrated Wonderland. But Tim Burgess and company miss the mark here in so many ways, be it the tepid songwriting, the production that makes the band’s rhythm section sound like a limp-wristed afterthought or the band’s insistence on treading the same ground they did ten years ago. Look no further than single "Oh! Vanity” to find a song that neatly epitomises all these shortcomings. After this record, it may be time to concede that the Charlatans have been permanently lost to the dad rock abyss. At least we’ll always have the baggy days.