The Charlatans / Us & Us Only (Deluxe)

The Charlatans
Us And Us Only: Deluxe Edition
(Island Records)
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If 'Exile On Main Street' marked the moment the Stones took pause from being one of the biggest bands in the world to learn how to be the best, 'Us And Us Only' inhabits a similar place in The Charlatans career: originally released in 1999, it saw the classic West Midlands act put their blistering rock anthems behind them and learn some craft, resulting in the forging of their most reflective and exciting songs to date.

The album practically wrote the rule book of how the Northern supergroups of the '90s would thrive and remain relevant into the new decade: 'Forever' wraps you in a darkly cinematic groove which seems to predict Ian Brown's 'Sister Rose', while 'The Blind Stagger' contains the DNA of Primal Scream's 'Country Girl'.

Trail blazing aside, the album sees the band relaxing into their most widescreen phase: 'Senses' begins in the same desert that U2 explored in The Joshua Tree before bursting into one of the band's most reaffirming grooves, while 'I Don't Care Where You Live' takes the earlier Stones metaphor to more literal extremes, sounding as carefree and relaxed as a summer sky.

This reissue's packed with tasty extras, including a Reading Festival headline set from 1999, in which 'Forever' comes alive like a darkly beautiful fireworks display. Marvellous.