Manchester UK’s Chameleons have just released their first proper album in 24 years! The band has long been extremely influential, inspiring groups such as The Verve, Oasis, and Interpol. Their previous works include Script of the Bridge (1983), What Does Anything Mean? Basically! (1984), Strange Times (1986), and Why Call It Anything? (2001). This incarnation of the band includes original members Mark Burgess (bass/vocals) and Reg Smithies (guitar), along with Stephen Rice (guitar), Danny Ashberry (keyboards), and Todd Demma (drums).
Burgess’s voice has lost none of its vibrancy and clarity, which is a relief. The band is terrific and the performances are tight, but as a fan from the ground floor, it seems that some of the melancholy has fallen away. People and circumstances change, and what stood in the early days has transformed into a more joyful musical experience. Out of the gate, the songs I dig that are most like the days of old include the sensual ‘Lady Strange’ and the sublime ‘Saviours Are A Dangerous Thing’, sounding much like their classic second album. The other songs hit the aural palette differently, such as the more mainstream ‘Where Are You?’, which I suspect shreds in a live setting.
‘Feels Like The End Of The World’ employs strings, which work marvelously well in the context of this song. Mark has clearly not lost hope, as evidenced by the buoyancy of this tune, which reminds us to savor the small moments of joy. ‘Free Me’ is a piano driven ballad, pretty but not edgy. ‘Magnolia’ employs the submarine sounds you might remember from their early albums. I do like how it ramps from soft to loud with elegant guitar figures, and some of the lyrics remind me of my dear brother that passed this summer. We’ve come to that age when family and friends are passing at what seems to be an unprecedented rate. I don’t know if that was Mark’s intent, but it hit me that way. ‘David Bowie Takes My Hand’ will immediately remind you of Bowie’s work, and it is a fine tribute to one of Mark’s musical heroes.
I am so glad Chameleons are back, and this is a fine album for fans new and old to enjoy.
