Oasis frontman is trying a solo career

By Timothy Coffman, Columnist
Featured image courtesy of spin.com

Liam Gallagher is probably known more for feuding with his brother, Noel Gallagher, than he is for his music. He was the lead singer of Oasis, along with his brother, and made hits like “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Champagne Supernova” and “Wonderwall,” the song played by every dude with a guitar at a house party.

After the band split in 2009, Liam put together a band called Beady Eye with every member of Oasis but his brother Noel. As Noel seemed to be garnering more critical respect, Beady Eye split up so Liam could focus on business ventures.

The new album “As You Were” finds Liam with a whole new lineup of a backing band. Meanwhile, Noel has hired the ex-Oasis, ex-Beady Eye members to play for him. In this album, Liam left his own devices to create a musical statement. So how does it hold up?

It’s truly shocking to hear this album sound as good as it does. While Liam sang the Oasis classics, his songwriting was never the greatest, with the exception of “I’m Outta Time” from the final Oasis album, “Dig Out Your Soul.”

The album opens  with the song “Wall of Glass,” which announces Liam’s foray back into rock music. Although Liam has stressed that this album is pure rock and roll, I was shocked at the amount of acoustic instrumentation and string sections that appear on some songs. This comes from the influence of Greg Kurstin, who is a pop guru nowadays for making Adele’s “Hello” a smash hit, as well as working with Sia.

The album is reverential to the rock and roll of the past with a modern twist. Liam seems to be reaching for different styles. While “Wall of Glass” is certainly rock, “For What It’s Worth” is a straightforward ballad, “You Better Run” is a bluesy rocker a la Rolling Stones, and “Chinatown” evokes the feeling of walking down an Eastern city street. For someone who says they only want to rock, Liam certainly has a range that is out of left field.

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