Noel Gallagher's HighFlying Birds - NoelGallagher's High FlyingBirds

Mon 7th Nov, 2011 in Music Reviews

It was easy to see where most of the talent lay in Oasis. While the younger of the Gallagher brothers, Liam, was the instantly recognisable and endlessly enigmatic voice of the band, the vast majority of the band’s classic songs were written by older brother Noel Gallagher. Naturally fans have taken to comparing the post-Oasis projects of the brothers, Liam’s a 50s inspired, old school rock and roll outfit with the other members of Oasis, called Beady Eye, and Noel’s an intricate, emotive and often stripped-back ‘self-titled’ record under the moniker Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

Noel’s earnest, captivating voice and potential as a balladeer frontman first emerged prominently in 1996’s MTV Unplugged performance, where Liam pulled out a few minutes before the set began due to ‘a sore throat’ – later revealed to simply be a dislike of performing acoustically – forcing Noel to tackle the gig alone. What followed was one of the most memorable moments of Oasis’ career, a brilliant set full of feeling never fully explored during the original songs.

While Noel’s songwriting has always been steeped in Kinks and Byrds-esque 60s pop but given a contemporary rock facelift, it is only with the absence of Liam that allows this element to fully bloom. Unlike his idols The Jam, whose songs were always imbued with a strong ‘Britishness’, Noel’s songs have always had a universality about them, a trait which has allowed him to continually prosper through a changing musical landscape.

Listening to Oasis’ albums in chronological order indicates a steady down-turn, from the first two records – both timeless classics worthy of mention alongside other respected pieces of the British rock canon – to the monstrous, white powder coated Be Here Now, the transitional and comparatively experimental fourth and fifth records, the return to form of Don’t Believe The Truth and finally the underwhelming Dig Out Your Soul. But unlike the songs of the band’s later period – before their decidedly less than amicable split – which at times seemed forced, as if they were consciously trying to write anthems rather than letting the songs give life to themselves, the collection that appears on Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are, in comparison, under-stated, resplendent in a more subtle, personal form of elegance, which perhaps paradoxically increases their ‘anthem-factor’ ten fold.

The record commences with Everybody’s On The Run. Beginning with a lush string section, everything falls away as Noel makes his grand entrance around the minute mark backed minimally by a softly strummed acoustic guitar and subtle, understated bassline. Noel’s soaring vocal lifts the track to almost stratospheric heights, and by the time the chorus of “Hang in there love/You gotta hold on/Cause everybody’s on the run” finally hits, it is clear that this is his most accomplished material for a long, long time.

Dream On opens with a stomping beat vaguely reminiscent of The Importance of Being Idle from Don’t Believe The Truth, while lyrically Noel sounds at his wits end, playing the role of the used and abused “martyr for love”. The arrangement here uses dynamics to brilliant effect, with soft verses paving the way for thumping choruses, both of which steadily grow throughout the track’s duration until a carnival-like brass explosion towards its closure. If I Had A Gun is a slow-builder in the vein of Don’t Go Away from Be Here Now. The track sees him at his most humble, sounding like a man truly wrapped up in love and willing to do whatever it takes to ensure things stay the same. The result is a timeless piece that stands as one of the record’s strongest highlights.

The record’s first single, The Death Of You And Me, follows. Potentially the weakest moment on the record, parts of it feel like a remake of Half The World Away, though this time the soul is removed and replaced with a unintentionally comical brass section. Behind the amusing title (I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine lies another quality slow-burner. Originally earmarked for Oasis, the track has been sitting around for years and it is refreshing to finally hear the finished result. The second half even showcases a short electric guitar solo before its monumental crescendo, and the subdued final 30 seconds give the feel that it could easily have been extended to a 10 minute, All Around The World style monolith, but Noel intelligently curtails it before it begins to drag on. AKA… What A Life! is another of the record’s most significant high points. Flavoured with melancholy, it plays to the strengths of Noel’s keen ear for melody and allows him to deliver a gliding vocal over a propulsive electronic beat, the most unmistakably contemporary he has ever sounded on record.

Soldier Boys And Jesus Freaks recalls the nostalgic warmth of early Oasis tracks like Going Nowhere and even sees Noel drop a Kinks reference. Another brass section makes an appearance, this time evoking imagery of a more mature Noel enjoying life on the bowling green, while conversely retaining an energy and vitality that gives the track an undeniable sense of purpose. The excellent AKA… Broken Arrow sees Noel as the troubled protagonist once again – the track’s hook of “That’s not gonna ease my troubled mind” provides a snippet of insight into his persona’s restless state – this time with more than a few psychedelic moments providing a very subtle hint at what we can expect from his next record, a planned collaboration with Future Sound of London side project Amorphous Androgynous.

(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach is an effective hybrid of Noel’s typical style with the Doors-esque American blues explored on tracks like Waiting For The Rapture, and lyrically the track evokes ideas of an arduous journey clouded by a great sense of burden, the very antithesis of Morrison’s free-wheeling, open road tales of unrestricted hedonism. Closer Stop The Clocks is another track originally written with the intention of appearing on an Oasis record, but as with Record Machine, its anthemic quality is tailor-made for Noel’s affecting vocals, which take the track to a different level than would have been achieved by Liam’s defiant sneer. Just when it seems the record will conclude neatly on a soft, acoustic note, a cacophonous blast of guitars, wailing brass and eerily echoed vocals is unleashed, as if intended as a parting message that Noel does not intend to lie down and slip into MOR mediocrity any time soon.

Inevitably, given the intense nature of the sibling rivalry throughout Oasis’ history, every record released by either brother from here on in will run the risk of being tied down by the weight of the baggage – a mountainous suitcase of expectation, relentless criticism and unavoidable comparisons – associated with it. To satisfy those looking for an overarching statement pitting one record against the other, while Beady Eye’s Different Gear, Still Speeding was, despite being panned by the critics, not half bad, the older Gallagher’s solo record is something quite magnificent, potentially his best songwriting since the first two Oasis records and the brilliant compilation The Masterplan. Sorry Liam, but it’s safe to say Noel wins on this count.