Noel Gallagher may not quite be ready for the ‘Elder Statesman’ tag like his friends Paul Weller and Jonny Marr. But he has been around some twenty odd years and remains relevant still, after his dramatic rise to the top and eventual split from Oasis.
Whilst brother Liam saw less success with his own solo project (the now-defunct Beady Eye), much praise was bestowed upon Gallagher senior’s 2011 self-titled album ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’. Four years later, Noel’s back with his latest album ‘Chasing Yesterday’, and this time he’s breaking through the usual swirl of catchy riffs and stadium sing-alongs.
First track ‘Riverman‘ kicks things off a little less than auspiciously. Chords reminiscent of ‘Wonderwall‘, and an opening line taken from The Beatles ‘Something’, oh no, Noel’s about to fall back into bad habits. But by its end female backing singers and a sax solo that Pink Floyd would have been proud of prevail. Once its five minutes and fourty-two seconds were up, it had evolved from pastiche into a great opener, setting up the rest of the album nicely – phew!
‘The Dying of the Light’ however is a proper Noel stadium sing-along. While it’s probably Gallagher playing it safe, nobody does this kind of track better than him.
‘Chasing yesterday’ – Released March 2nd on Sour Mash Records.
Following on, ‘The Right Stuff’ is a woozy, psychedelica-tinged piece, complete with trumpets, and Gallagher almost playing second fiddle to the female vocalist that joins him. It’s reminiscent of his work with The Chemical Brothers and is one of two on the record produced by Amorphous Androgynous. Its brilliance compounds further the misery that Gallagher’s full album recorded with the Mancunian duo has been shelved and won’t see release.
The final track and second single from the album ‘The Ballad of the Mighty I’ is so similar to ‘AKA… What A Life’ from his first solo release that they’re basically the same – fortunately they’re both very good songs. Gallagher mentioned that ‘AKA…’ was supposed to feature Jonny Marr but circumstances got in the way. His inclusion on ‘Mighty I’ then links the two songs further still.
The driving beat and energetic bassline make this one a real toe-tapper, and Marr’s magisterial guitar stylings compliment wonderfully when called upon. Noel’s lyrics sag a little here and there, his signature rhyming couplets almost seeming like parody at times, but it doesn’t detract too much from what is a great closing number.
Just as likely to be heard on Radio 2 as on BBC 6 Music these days, respected by both the mainstream and independent crowds, Gallagher can rightly be happy with his lot. He’s still got a great ear for melody and coupled with a clear desire to expand his musical horizons, his post-Oasis career continues to look rosy. Now, about that Amorphous Androgynous album…
Author – Chris, Liverpool store
