I just heard the new Oasis album in full.
And -- wow. Just...wow.
It's diverse, subtle, and astonishingly-written. Beautifully played-and-sung too. There are no BIG LOUD WALL OF GUITAR arrangements -- everything is played for subtlety and intricacy. And yet? It still rocks. The melodies are top-notch and for the first time I actually give a fig about the arrangement.
Almost everything else -- especially Andy Bell's songs and Liam's songs -- are pretty damn original, and quite beautiful. Its a stunning pop record by any standards, and I really do encourage folks who are skeptical of the band (like me, since the Oasis backlash of '99) to open your mind and give it a go -- its intriguing. Seriously.
Maybe this sounds like ravings by a lunatic but, to me, the turn around is astounding. THEY'RE BACK!
Here's my quick review (after 10 cd spins by the way):
Turn Up The Sun - 9.5/10. Interesting opening chord progression. The verse is very much like the same old Oasis, but the intro / middle bit with the sort of interlaced guitars is gorgeous. That's a crippling guitar riff and the vocal performance is massive. Just killer. One of Andy Bell's best songs, I think. Great, subtle opening track that sets the mood for the album.
Mucky Fingers - 9/10. A Velvet Underground rip-off? Yes -- Noel's lifted the Velvet Underground. Does that bother me? No. I love the use of harmonica on this one.
Lyla - 8/10. This one's straight from "Definitely Maybe" era. Solid rocking tune.
Love Like A Bomb - 10/10. This song is stellar. Just STELLAR, especially Liam's quiet la la la's at the electric piano bridge section.
The Importance Of Being Idle - 10/10. I'm really fond of this Noel song. Very Kinks-ish but very certainly not a "rip-off" of anything.
The Meaning Of Soul - 7.5/10. Sounds suspiciously like filler but good enough.
Guess God Thinks I'm Abel - 9.5/10. Tuneful. Again, I love the subtlety in the arrangement.
Part Of The Queue - 9.5/10.
"I fall down, heaven wont help me,
I call out, no-one would hear,
All of a sudden, i've lost my way out of the city.
Stand tall, stand proud.
Every beginning, is breaking its promise,
I'm having trouble, just finding some soul in this town"
Stand tall, stand proud Noel. F*** the critics. This is a gorgeous song. You're a great songwriter.
Keep The Dream Alive - 10/10. Ahh. Liam's singing brings back a lot of memories from that glorious summer of '95. Yeah! Keep the dream alive.
A Bell Will Ring - 9.5/10. Atmospheric, rich melodies. It has that Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" kind of vibe.
Let There Be Love - 10/10. No one can tell me "Let There Be Love" is not one of the best songs of the year so far, maybe even of the past two years. Easily the best Oasis I've heard for 6 years or whatever. It's just a crushing song, one of those very, very, very few that pulled me in immediately on the first listen. Everything works for me, just what I've wanted to hear from Noel for all too long.
One thing that's nice about this is that Noel didn't turn it into a huge bloated epic the way he might have on "Be Here Now", he's learned that bigger isn't always better.
I Can See It Now - 10/10. I really like this one. Interesting. Intriguing.
second best album.....definitely maybe.
