Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

I have so much to say at the moment. I moved out at the weekend, and I now have a house to myself. It's great, but it's not what this post is about. Maybe I'll talk about it more later, but to be honest it's more the sort of thing I'll talk about if asked than what I want to do a blog post on. No, this post is a sort of review of the new Oasis album =D

Before I talk about any of the songs, I should mention that this is completely biased. After so many years of liking Oasis, I think it'd be very hard for them to bring out an album I totally hated. Standing on the Shoulder of Giants is weak compared to the others, and has some less than good songs. Be Here Now has some epic songs, and I'd describe some of them as my top few Oasis songs, but every song goes on for a couple of minutes too long, and the whole process was obviously fueled by drugs. Still, I like both of those albums, so as I said, it'd be hard for them to release something I wouldn't like.

Not only did they release something I couldn't hate, I'd go as far as to say I love Dig Out Your Soul, already, after just two days of owning it. It's very different from Don't Believe The Truth. More psychedelic influence, but they still sound like Oasis.

Track 1 is Bag It Up. The first time I heard this, I wasn't that bothered by it. Album track I might skip to get to the good ones. I still don't think it's particularly memorable, but it's grown on me. It's no Rock and Roll Star, Hello, Do You Know What I Mean, The Hindu Times, Fuckin' in The Bushes or Turn Up The Sun as far as opening tracks go, but it's still a good song. I saw some review making a Pink Floyd comparison, but I don't know what that's about.

Next it's The Turning. This has also grown on me since I first heard it on Myspace. Slow start, with a fantastic chorus. I think this song shows that Liam's vocals have improved since the last album. Definitely a great song, and I can imagine this one being good live. I think it would have been a better opener than Bag It Up too.

Waiting For The Rapture. I love the dirty guitar. This has a great beat. Some of the guitar in it reminds me of Cold Turkey by John Lennon, but that's no bad thing. I like this song a lot.

The first single, and so the first song I heard, was Shock Of The Lightening. Now this song really sounds like Oasis. This is the Lyla, or the Go Let It Out, or the Hindu Times. A rock song made for stadium gigs, and an obvious first single. Typical Oasis in that there are lyrics only there because they rhyme, but long time fans like me love that stuff.

Next, I'm Out Of Time. Some songs you aren't bothered about at first, but they really grow on you, and you come to love them. Some songs you like at first, but don't truly realise how brilliant they are until months down the line. Some songs just blow you away from the first time you play them. This song falls into the last category. Imagine my surprise when I found out Liam Gallagher wrote it. Now I know Liam has written some great songs, including Born on a Different Cloud, and Love Like a Bomb, but I'm Out of Time blows them all out of the water. This song is beautiful, and one of my favourites for best on the album. I read in another review that Liam wrote this to prove to Noel that he can still sing. Liam wins.

(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady is a good song, but definitely an album track. Bit crushed (I think that's the term?) vocal, which is interesting on an Oasis album, but I don't think the song is anything special.

I said earlier that I'm Out of Time was one of the favourites for best on album. This is the other. Falling Down is one of the best songs Noel has ever written. The lyrics are fantastic, the drums are great, and this is a perfect one for Noel to sing. Not only one of my favourites on Dig Out Your Soul, but up there with my favourite Oasis songs.

To Be Where There's Life is a Gem Archer song, and it's just alright, as other songs by him usually are. Nothing spectacular, but I don't think I'd skip it as I'm going through.

Ain't Got Nothing is another Liam song, and unlike his previous contribution on this album, this one is so obviously not a Noel song. Again, it's not bad, but it's an album track. I bet they'll play this live though. To me, it just sounds like it's not quite Meaning of Soul.

The Nature of Reality has got fairly bad reviews, from what I've seen. This is an Andy Bell song, and it's worth remembering that he wrote one of my favourite Oasis songs in Keep the Dream Alive. This doesn't compare to that, but I still love the lyrics. Short and uncomplicated, while questioning the meaning of everything. "Belief does not existence make"...I wonder if the Christian Liam Gallagher realises what he's singing. Great beat on this song too.

Soldier On is the last song, and another Liam song. Perhaps not the best finisher. I think I'm Out of Time or Falling Down should have had this position on the album. This is a good song though. I can't put my finger on what other band it reminds me of. Blur's Tender comes to mind, but I know there's something else. I do really like the song though, and I wouldn't have guessed that Liam wrote it.

Around the internet, I've seen reviews saying that this will only appeal to hardcore fans, and then some saying this is the best they've done since Definitely Maybe. Well I know that's wrong, since obviously they forgot What's the Story. I'm not sure it tops Don't Believe the Truth, simply because it's not got so much you can sing along to in a field of strangers. There's a possibility I might change my opinion on that, and it's not that I mind that Oasis have moved on from stadium anthems, but I do enjoy having songs like Lyla on an album.

In conclusion, I'm not disappointed. This was worth waiting for, and it's a brilliant album. Buy it, if you haven't already, then go get some tickets to one of the live shows. I'll be in Sheffield next Saturday, standing.