Spring Break
Play it by Ear - Oasis "Dig Out Your Soul"
Issue date: 10/13/08 Section: Culture
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The more casual listener, however, might only want to seek the stand-out tracks. The record is a solid effort, but only a handful of songs really grab the listener and say, "Listen up, kids."
This new release is the band's seventh album in a musical career spanning more than 15 years, and can sound like it at points.
Several of the tracks seem uninspired, including "Falling Down," a dreary, drawn-out track with uninspired vocals that contemplate the existence of God: "I tried to talk to God to no avail/ Calling my name from nowhere."
You'd figure a band with that much experience would have some more interesting subjects, but Oasis doesn't live up to the call.
"To Be Where There's Life," again not one of Oasis' finest, does manage to capture the new sound they're trying to achieve. A sitar drones in the background as the song begins, setting up a psychedelic feel, while a heavy, throbbing drum beat kicks in and creates a "groove" feel, unlike typical Oasis.
Noel Gallagher, the group's primary songwriter, expressed in October of last year to BBC 6 Music that the band was trying to move away from the standard verse/chorus song to a more expansive style of songwriting.
Fans should expect little of the sing-along, acoustic "Wonderwall" sound with this album, and more of a Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, darker feel.
Though "Dig" has its lackluster moments, the stand-outs are worth their while.
"Bag It Up," the opening track, is standard Oasis. A sliding guitar riff starts the track out, acting as a transition from their typical sound into the new "groove."
The guitars and drumbeats are heavier than normal, but Liam's familiar howl and the lifting, simple chorus ("Everything I believe in is telling me that I want more, more, more") are old tools in Oasis' bag of tricks.
The high point of the record occurs on track six, "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady." The slow, bluesy, working-man drumbeat and dissonant guitar draws the listener in with its nostalgic, almost western feeling.
Lyrically, it's a sparse song - it consists of only four different lines repeated throughout. However, Liam is able to inject plenty of different meanings for listeners to ponder with his vocal inflections plus a soft, distant wailing in the background that finally achieves the new sound they're attempting.
Another worthwhile track is the final song, "Soldier On." It's yet another heavily beat-driven song reminding the listener of Radiohead with its persistent echoing vocal lines. A rolling, slow bass line carries the song through its more ethereal moments, making the trip worthwhile, despite the prolonged outro.
Anyone who has at least a passing interest in Oasis should check the album out - it's an interesting new take on the familiar stylings of the band.
cupchurch@unews.com
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