Rating: NNN
Wonderland is the first Charlatans record since singer Tim Burgess relocated to L.A., so much of it was written and recorded over the Internet with band and vocalist in different studios. Maybe, had they all been in the same room together, the rest of the band could have told Burgess that warbling in a ridiculous falsetto throughout much of Wonderland wasn’t such a good idea. This is the Charlatans’ soul record, driven by lithe funk beats and cooing backup singers. The grooves are remarkably strong, pairing Stonesy aggression with genuinely head-nodding beats. Had Burgess chosen to sing as strong as he can instead of in an absurd falsetto, the disc could have been a classic. Too bad.
