One of the magical things about Oasis was the way Liam’s rough-and-ready rock blended with Noel’s harmonic roll to make one of the most eminent and timeless bands of the 21st century.
Like the Lennon–McCartney duo most people side with one or the other, but few would disagree that both the Beatles and Oasis would be half a band if you removed either party.
Which is what makes the recent release of new records from the respective Gallagher brothers so fascinating.
On the one hand Liam has binned Beady Eyes and released a debut solo album which has been well received across the board for encapsulating his ballsy nature with hits that wouldn’t look out of place on Definitely Maybe.
Conversely, many of the songs on Noel’s latest release, The High Flying Birds’ ‘Who Built the Moon?, could easily run as b-sides on his younger brother’s record.
How the tables have turned.
But the reality is that tracks like For What It’s Worth and Wall of Glass are among the best material the brothers have produced since the heady days of What’s the Story, whereas the High Flying Bird’s new tracks feel tired and, quite frankly, boring.
As a long-term Oasis fan I’ve always considered myself to be a Noel sort of man, but since the band split in ’09 I’ve been craving the sort of classics that made them renowned in the noughties.
While Noel takes a spiritual journey down a new path it has been left to his younger brother to pick up the pieces from the glory days of old, and after years of trying he might well have achieved it.
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