Spring Break
The Daily OrangeStill digging
Oasis' return to the spotlight, 'Dig Out Your Soul' covers too many musical genres to create a cohesive record
By Dan Kaplan
Posted: 10/7/08, 12:32 AM EST Section: Decibel
In theory, this should be a welcomed experiment; the Gallagher brothers' affinity for all things Lennon-McCartney has never been a secret - Liam even once went so far as to claim he was John Lennon reincarnated.
The trouble is that Oasis is trying to do later Beatles, imitating the group during its most experimental phase. Sometimes the songs succeed: The bass line on "To Be Where There's Life," for example, would make Paul McCartney weep.
But more often than not the band sounds too derivative for its own good. "The Nature of Reality" - with its opening riff nicked from the Beatles' classic "Helter Skelter" - proves a sore example of the latter, easily one of Oasis' worst songs to date.
With four out of five permanent band members contributing during the album's songwriting process, it's easy to see why "Dig Out Your Soul" sounds so uneven. In the band's glory days, lead guitarist Noel Gallagher wrote every song, including all of the b-sides.
Here, there are almost as many songs not penned by Noel (five) as by him (six). With most bands, the added range of influences from multiple songwriters would be a huge asset. With Oasis, it's just a downer.
Fortunately, Noel's tunes continue to provide the band's shining moments.
The lead single, "The Shock of the Lightning," is a triumphant rocker that could easily have come off like "Definitely Maybe." Nearly a decade after he began to shy away from the band's straightforward pop sound, "Falling Down" sees Gallagher finally striking the right blend between catchy and experimental in his songwriting.
A few more of his songs, and the album might have come out stronger. But as it stands, Oasis will have to keep digging.
sdkaplan@syr.edu
The trouble is that Oasis is trying to do later Beatles, imitating the group during its most experimental phase. Sometimes the songs succeed: The bass line on "To Be Where There's Life," for example, would make Paul McCartney weep.
But more often than not the band sounds too derivative for its own good. "The Nature of Reality" - with its opening riff nicked from the Beatles' classic "Helter Skelter" - proves a sore example of the latter, easily one of Oasis' worst songs to date.
With four out of five permanent band members contributing during the album's songwriting process, it's easy to see why "Dig Out Your Soul" sounds so uneven. In the band's glory days, lead guitarist Noel Gallagher wrote every song, including all of the b-sides.
Here, there are almost as many songs not penned by Noel (five) as by him (six). With most bands, the added range of influences from multiple songwriters would be a huge asset. With Oasis, it's just a downer.
Fortunately, Noel's tunes continue to provide the band's shining moments.
The lead single, "The Shock of the Lightning," is a triumphant rocker that could easily have come off like "Definitely Maybe." Nearly a decade after he began to shy away from the band's straightforward pop sound, "Falling Down" sees Gallagher finally striking the right blend between catchy and experimental in his songwriting.
A few more of his songs, and the album might have come out stronger. But as it stands, Oasis will have to keep digging.
sdkaplan@syr.edu
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