Some bands seem destined to remain on the margins: they influence everyone, but never take the spotlight. The Chameleons, formed in Middleton in 1981 by Mark Burgess, Reg Smithies, Dave Fielding and John Lever, are the perfect example.
The three albums released in the mid-Eighties — Script of the Bridge, What Does Anything Mean? Basically and Strange Times — could have placed them among the giants of post-punk, but a distracted industry and a shy temperament confined them to cult status.
Their epic, dreamlike sound has nonetheless left deep traces: from Oasis to The Verve, from Interpol to The Killers, many have acknowledged the debt. Twenty-four years after Why Call It Anything, Burgess and Smithies restart the engine with Arctic Moon, a record that, between sporadic orchestral flourishes arranged by Pete Whitfield and a more mature songwriting, seeks a balance between past and present. At its core, nothing has changed: reverberated guitars with a gothic aftertaste, enveloping bass, and Burgess’s charismatic, evocative voice.
The opener turns the volume up: Where Are You? recalls the band’s best days, but the album moves in different directions, dusting off jangle sound (Lady Strange) and glam ballad (Free Me). Speaking of the Seventies, David Bowie Takes My Hand, with its grand piano and expanded arrangements, is the most ambitious track: over eight minutes that start promisingly, with nods to the Major Tom saga, but eventually lose themselves in prolixity.
The closer, Saviours Are A Dangerous Thing, is a missive against the fascination with leaders who offer easy answers to complex problems, evoking unsettling echoes of the 1930s. It denounces the seduction of propaganda and the illusion of saviors, delivering a clear and incisive message that resonates strongly among the fan base.
Arctic Moon is not a triumphant comeback, but it confirms a twilight band that avoids easy anthems or chasing a new youth: here the texture prevails over the chorus, detail over instant impact. The lyrics remain the strongest point, while the arrangements play their part with dignity and taste.