Oasis returns to the music scene on October 6th with their newest album in 3 years. The album is titled Dig Out Your Soul, and so far it has been getting plenty of raves. I for one who've been hearing it nonstop over the past week since it leaked online can honestly say that it is their greatest work since 1995's What's The Story Morning Glory.
The album opens up with the aggressive rocker Bag It Up, Noel's ode to the days when he was getting high, which features Liam at his best singing in a long time. This is followed by the toned down low key rocker The Turning, also sung by Liam, one of the best songs Oasis have made in a while. Noel takes over singing duties next with Waiting for the Rapture, a song that borrows the guitar riff from The Doors' Five to One, and for what its worth, it is a great song. The first single, the fast paced, wildly aggressive rocker The Shock of the Lightning comes next, and it is quite simply Oasis's finest single in years. Hearing it the first time, it gave me flashbacks of hearing Definitely Maybe in 1994, particularly the songs Rock 'n Roll Star and Supersonic. Liam's beautiful ballad, and next single, I'm Outta Time follows, a song that Liam doesn't shy away from showing his affection towards his rock hero John Lennon, and expressing his vulnerability. The song even includes a Lennon soundbite from an interview he made with the BBC 2 days before his untimely death. In the song, Liam sings "If I'm to fall, would you be there to applaud? Or would you hide behind them all? Cos if I have to go, in my heart you'd grow. And that's where you belong."
Noel returns to the vocals in the next 2 songs, the first, the heavily psychedelic Get Off Your High Horse Lady, a song I've described as a cowboy ditty on acid. The second song is Noel's best, and one of the highlights on Dig Out Your Soul, the elusive Falling Down, where Noel questions his religious belief. Up next is the George Harrison influenced, Gem Archer penned To Be Where There's Life, a song that doesn't include any guitars, but relies mostly on bass, sitars, and Zak Starkey's drums. The song does feature the best singing by Liam on the entire album in my own humble opinion. Speaking of Liam, the next song is his second where he's credited as songwriter. The song is Ain't Got Nothin', and even though I despised the song when it first leaked online about 3 months ago, I've come to appreciate its straightforwardness. Andy Bell's The Nature of Reality is next, and it is one of my personal favorites on the album. A loud, heavily layered with cool guitar riffs influenced by The Beatles and to some extent Led Zeppelin, song, it succeeds thanks to Liam's snarling lines like "The nature of reality is pure subjective fantasy". It's also the closest sounding song to Definitely Maybe, particulary the song Columbia. The final song on the album is Soldier On, the third song written by Liam, which I also disliked at first before hearing it multiple times and appreciating its depth.
My final verdict on this album is that it is massive! Oasis are definitely back with a vengeance. For those who've had doubts about Oasis's legitamacy as one of the greatest rock bands of our time, this album will wash all that away!
Cheers!
Album rating: A-
Track picks:
Bag It Up
The Turning
The Shock of the Lightning
I'm Outta Time
Falling Down
To Be Where There's Life
The Nature of Reality
Soldier On
The album opens up with the aggressive rocker Bag It Up, Noel's ode to the days when he was getting high, which features Liam at his best singing in a long time. This is followed by the toned down low key rocker The Turning, also sung by Liam, one of the best songs Oasis have made in a while. Noel takes over singing duties next with Waiting for the Rapture, a song that borrows the guitar riff from The Doors' Five to One, and for what its worth, it is a great song. The first single, the fast paced, wildly aggressive rocker The Shock of the Lightning comes next, and it is quite simply Oasis's finest single in years. Hearing it the first time, it gave me flashbacks of hearing Definitely Maybe in 1994, particularly the songs Rock 'n Roll Star and Supersonic. Liam's beautiful ballad, and next single, I'm Outta Time follows, a song that Liam doesn't shy away from showing his affection towards his rock hero John Lennon, and expressing his vulnerability. The song even includes a Lennon soundbite from an interview he made with the BBC 2 days before his untimely death. In the song, Liam sings "If I'm to fall, would you be there to applaud? Or would you hide behind them all? Cos if I have to go, in my heart you'd grow. And that's where you belong."
Noel returns to the vocals in the next 2 songs, the first, the heavily psychedelic Get Off Your High Horse Lady, a song I've described as a cowboy ditty on acid. The second song is Noel's best, and one of the highlights on Dig Out Your Soul, the elusive Falling Down, where Noel questions his religious belief. Up next is the George Harrison influenced, Gem Archer penned To Be Where There's Life, a song that doesn't include any guitars, but relies mostly on bass, sitars, and Zak Starkey's drums. The song does feature the best singing by Liam on the entire album in my own humble opinion. Speaking of Liam, the next song is his second where he's credited as songwriter. The song is Ain't Got Nothin', and even though I despised the song when it first leaked online about 3 months ago, I've come to appreciate its straightforwardness. Andy Bell's The Nature of Reality is next, and it is one of my personal favorites on the album. A loud, heavily layered with cool guitar riffs influenced by The Beatles and to some extent Led Zeppelin, song, it succeeds thanks to Liam's snarling lines like "The nature of reality is pure subjective fantasy". It's also the closest sounding song to Definitely Maybe, particulary the song Columbia. The final song on the album is Soldier On, the third song written by Liam, which I also disliked at first before hearing it multiple times and appreciating its depth.
My final verdict on this album is that it is massive! Oasis are definitely back with a vengeance. For those who've had doubts about Oasis's legitamacy as one of the greatest rock bands of our time, this album will wash all that away!
Cheers!
Album rating: A-
Track picks:
Bag It Up
The Turning
The Shock of the Lightning
I'm Outta Time
Falling Down
To Be Where There's Life
The Nature of Reality
Soldier On
