The wait for Noel Gallagher’s first post-Oasis album is over – and it delivers.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ eponymous album released today gives fans a look at where Noel Gallagher seems to have always wanted to go but was never able to get to.
The album combines some of the Manchunian’s signature styles with
additions of horns and strings, as well as powerful lyrics. This album seems to be where Gallagher always wanted to go musically but could not because of the dramatic arguments of his previous band. Now, with full control, the music is pure
and argument-free.
What could be the album’s finest single is “The Death of You and
Me,” a crossroads of Gallagher’s influences with his own spin. The riff
of the song is reminiscent of British Invasion music of the mid-1960s with
a punch that leaves the listener moved. Midway through the song, a set
of horns comes in with a 1920s jazz style that will blow the mind of fans
and non-fans alike. The lyrics of “The Death of You
and Me” are a powerful tale of a man hiding from things that may hinder the relationship between him and his loved one.
There are, however, tracks that seem like they were written for Oasis, and the band’s frontman Liam (Gallagher’s younger brother) should
be singing. This is the case in “If I Had a Gun,” which sounds like a run of the mill Oasis track.
The album is solid from beginning to end. The first track, “Everybody’s on the Run” instantly gets the listener
going with the sole, half-screaming vocals of Gallagher and ominous string section.
What may be a treat for long time Gallagher fans is the album’s last track, “Stop the Clocks.” The song was written 10 years ago and had long been sought after by fans, but never seen on an album. If they were expecting a euphoric track, like some others, they may be in for a disappointment.
While the lyrics are the standard of Gallagher’s talent, the recording is rough, going through the normal chord progressions we are all used to.