James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
The Christian rock band from Brighton bring religion to the masses.
Recipe for modern R'n'B album: liberal helpings of guest rappers and an overdose of sexual euphemisms.
When interviewed about his debut album, High Flying Birds, before its release date, Noel Gallagher alluded to a variety of creative influences which lead to expectations of experimentation, diversity and a move away from the stereotyped Oasis sound of the past 20 years. There were talks of collaborations with the funky, psychedelic band Amorphous Androgynous, as well as claims that Gallagher was inspired by the likes of Ennio Morricane and Derrick May; the former a classical and jazz composer, and the latter an American electronic musician, specialising in house and techno.
Given these citations of inspiration and the promise of progression, one may be somewhat disappointed to find that High Flying Birds is all too reminiscent of mid-album Oasis. ‘The Death of You and Me’, the debut single, served more as an echoic tribute to past Oasis releases than a representation of any current alternative influences. Similarly, the song ‘AKA….Broken Arrow’ is much akin to ‘Wonderwall’, except for the addition of a musical saw.
However, High Flying Birds is not an offering of completely reconstituted Oasis singles. The opening track ‘Everybody’s on the Run’ is wonderfully orchestrated, with its neat strings and mourning sounding backing choir. This along with ‘(I Wanna Live in a Dream in my) Recovery Machine’ contain some richly beautiful instrumental components, yet all the same they fail to completely break away from the familiar melodic gloom that can be found in Oasis classics such as ‘Champagne Supernova’ and ‘Live Forever’.
As far as the influence of Derrick May goes, the piano line of ‘AKA…What a Life’ is said to be reminiscent of May’s ‘Strings of Life’ and does indeed contain a house-like quality to it.
Despite some development away from the established Gallagher sounds, the well-known plodding tempos and simple chord progressions are still very much present in High Flying Birds, with pop number ‘Dream On’ having the same stomping percussion and repetitive feel to it as songs like ‘Force of Nature’ and ‘The Importance of Being Idle’. Apparently, the track is said to represent a diversion into ‘Dixieland Jazz’, with its inclusion of a trombone, and a protest, parade-like feel that is resonant of the Kink’s ‘Dead End Street’. Yet it is perhaps not as successfully pulled off. There is certainly an influx of brass on quite a few occasions throughout the album and it can be credited to Noel that the album contains some branching into new territories, albeit minor.
The genre and stylings of High Flying Birds may not be as original or boundary pushing as perhaps anticipated, but they are certainly catchy and more stimulating than some of Oasis’ later albums. For the most part, the album is a safe bet, dependant on pleasing the demographic of Oasis fans. Noel’s lyrics may still be weak and may still lack ingenuity, but as ever his melodies often disguise this and it cannot be denied that there are many colourful elements to the album which frequently deter you from the forgettable ones.
You must log in to submit a comment.
