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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
Artist: Oasis
Album: Dig Out Your Soul
Sounds Like: An imitation of the Beatles, with mixed results.
65 decibels out of 100
Oasis is a name from the past. Anyone remember?
That Britpop band out of Manchester, England? The one with the two fighting brothers who had those two huge hits in the mid-1990s?
"Wonderwall?"
"Champagne Supernova?"
Ring any bells?
Most likely not, because ever since then one could argue that Oasis has been trying to be forgotten.
A departure from its stellar pop-rock roots led the group to ill-fated ventures with psychedelia. The result: The band's highest chart position since then came in 2000, when "Go Let It Out" hit No. 14 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In many ways, Oasis' new album, "Dig Out Your Soul," plays sort of like an autobiography of the band's career.
There are flashes of the Gallagher brothers' early brilliance, which shot albums like "Definitely Maybe" and "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" to the top of the charts.
Then there are also moments that will make listeners question exactly what the band was thinking while recording.
The biggest problem with "Dig Out Your Soul" is that the album has absolutely no sense of flow. Fist-pumping rock 'n roll anthems are sandwiched between ballads and psychedelic jam sessions.
Such combinations make otherwise enjoyable songs irritating, and the album becomes very difficult to listen to in its entirety. This lack of cohesiveness becomes especially disappointing when you consider the success of the songs as individual compositions.
The album's first two tracks, "Bag It Up" and "The Turning," combine for perhaps the band's best album opening punch ever.
"Bag It Up" builds a grooving stomp-rhythm, showcasing vocalist Liam Gallagher at his most confident in years. "The Turning" simply rocks harder than anything in the band's catalogue from the past 10 years.
Later tracks see the band treading further into Beatles territory than ever before.
Album: Dig Out Your Soul
Sounds Like: An imitation of the Beatles, with mixed results.
65 decibels out of 100
Oasis is a name from the past. Anyone remember?
That Britpop band out of Manchester, England? The one with the two fighting brothers who had those two huge hits in the mid-1990s?
"Wonderwall?"
"Champagne Supernova?"
Ring any bells?
Most likely not, because ever since then one could argue that Oasis has been trying to be forgotten.
A departure from its stellar pop-rock roots led the group to ill-fated ventures with psychedelia. The result: The band's highest chart position since then came in 2000, when "Go Let It Out" hit No. 14 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In many ways, Oasis' new album, "Dig Out Your Soul," plays sort of like an autobiography of the band's career.
There are flashes of the Gallagher brothers' early brilliance, which shot albums like "Definitely Maybe" and "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" to the top of the charts.
Then there are also moments that will make listeners question exactly what the band was thinking while recording.
The biggest problem with "Dig Out Your Soul" is that the album has absolutely no sense of flow. Fist-pumping rock 'n roll anthems are sandwiched between ballads and psychedelic jam sessions.
Such combinations make otherwise enjoyable songs irritating, and the album becomes very difficult to listen to in its entirety. This lack of cohesiveness becomes especially disappointing when you consider the success of the songs as individual compositions.
The album's first two tracks, "Bag It Up" and "The Turning," combine for perhaps the band's best album opening punch ever.
"Bag It Up" builds a grooving stomp-rhythm, showcasing vocalist Liam Gallagher at his most confident in years. "The Turning" simply rocks harder than anything in the band's catalogue from the past 10 years.
Later tracks see the band treading further into Beatles territory than ever before.
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