While beginning the process for his sixth solo album, Typical Music, Tim Burgess fell in love with the world again. Granted, this was in the midst of the pandemic, which cut short Burgess’ support run for his 2020 album, I Love the New Sky. But in between both albums, and in a time where virtual concerts and events were unavoidable, Burgess found a way to connect fans, artists, and himself — Tim’s Twitter Listening Parties.

You may have caught a glimpse of one of his listening parties throughout the last couple of years, which have featured dozens of artists across all eras and genres, including Oasis, IDLES, Duran Duran, and Wolf Alice. The format has been simple — Burgess commences a virtual listening party at a certain hour, and he and the band represented will share anecdotes, photos, and general thoughts on the record in real time as people listen at home.

“I thought the pandemic was gonna last for three weeks, so I thought we were gonna have a pretty strong lineup,” Burgess tells Consequence of the listening parties. “And of course, it went on and on… but people really responded to it. It became a way for bands who were releasing music to still be able to connect with an audience.” The unifying nature of these listening parties gave Burgess a much-needed boost to craft his own experiment, and now, he arrives with the dazzling, ambitious double album, Typical Music (out this Friday, September 23rd).

Rest assured, there isn’t much about Typical Music that is typical. Burgess, who has fronted alternative quartet The Charlatans since the late ’80s, has always had an ear for expansive rock music, and on Typical Music, he doubles down on the word “expansive:” across 22 songs, Burgess moves seamlessly through funk, crisp rock and roll, and cinematic, dreamy, psychedelic pop, with hi-fi arrangements, choirs, strings, and all the rest.