The two-and-a-half years since the release of Be Here Now, Oasis's vast-sounding but somewhat hollow last studio album, have been kind to the creative juices of les freres Gallagher. Guess marriage and parenthood is doing Noel and Liam some good.
While the sound on their new opus is typically cavernous and Beatle-derived (for instance, dig the "Hey Jude"-like climax of "Little James" or the Harrisonian guitar licks of "Roll It Over"), there's a fresh emotional content to the best songs here, which bear comparison to such great early numbers as "Live Forever," "Don't Look Back in Anger," and "Wonderwall." Especially fine are such Noel showcases as "Where Did It All Go Wrong?" and "Sunday Morning Call," and Liam's gospelized finale "Roll It Over." Even an accusatory tune like "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" has an empathic edge. Hate to use the word "maturity," but the Gallaghers have made a very poised and grown-up record.
All recordings written by Noel Gallagher, courtesy of Epic Records and Sony/ATV Songs LLC (BMI).
