Liam Gallagher‘s band Beady Eye didn’t really leave the public eye before releasing their début album, full of – by their own admission – Oasis cast-offs. Contrasting the public attention that Beady Eye sought, the elder brother, the sage of the Gallagher clan, all but disappeared from the public eye, and released a new child into the world instead of a new album. This media silence has now been broken, and been replaced by a wave of hype which we shall all ride upon until the release of his début solo album in October. The first single is ‘The Death Of You And Me’.
Fans of the Noel-sung tracks by his former band may be pleased to hear that it’s not much of a departure, and why not? He wrote those songs after all. This one is not a million miles away from the indolent stomp of ‘The Importance Of Being Idle’, featuring a memorable staccato chorus, acoustic guitar hooks and an elegant brass section. Anyone worried that Noel would lose his touch for melody can allay those fears, as this song has vocal hooks aplenty. I was also pleased to hear the customary Noel Gallagher references to the weather and cod-spirituality, particularly the line “I can feel the storm clouds sucking up my soul”. Such lines are slightly corny, but he has made them his hallmark over the last twenty years.
Hearing his particular brand of songwriting feels comfortable after his absence, like finding out that Cadbury’s Creme Eggs have gone back on sale in the lead up to Easter. Noel may not be doing anything remarkable or unheard-of (Yet. Wait until his collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous comes out) but ‘The Death Of You And Me’ will be certain to soundtrack the music fan’s summer.
Noel Gallagher\’s High Flying Birds – The Death Of You And Me on Youtube
1 Comment
Fair review, I think. I was happy to find the song reminded me of Noel-sung Oasis classics, fitting in with the DBTT era perhaps. Really looking forward to the rest of the album.