Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul Format: Album Release Date: 6th Oct 2008 Label: Big Brother Recordings Rating: Oasis offer us another slice of the magic pie with their new album "Dig Out Your Soul". By this I mean it falls into the category of not being another "Definitely Maybe" or "(What's the Story?) Morning Glory", but it still a pretty solid album. It is closest in sound and style to 2005's "Don't Believe the Truth", which although it had it's haters (like anything they've done since their first two albums) was actually their best full length album since the hugely underrated and picked on (but actually utterly brilliant) "Be Here Now". Similarly to the last album, Dave Sardy is behind the knobs (yes I mean those twiddly plastic things) and so this album has a very similar sound, approach, method and production to the last album. In fact some of these songs may have started developing during those sessions. Once again Noel shares out his pen's with the whole gang and lets them write some tunes. This is something the other guys have been getting better at ever since Liam first wrote the laughably bad "Little James" for their "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants" album. Nowadays Liam has actually caught up with Noel in how good his own songs are, and well Gem and Andy (he used to be in Ride you know?) are just as good as ever really. The blood of The Beatles literally pumps through this albums veins too as Zak Starkey is on drums again, and the album was recorded at the legendary studios at Abbey Road. But what of the actual tunes? Well Oasis aren't quite upto delivering another true classic or masterpiece of an album yet, but once you get over that little disapointment you are actually left with another solid alternative rock album, that still manages to flatten most of the Oasis posers out there which try to fill the void (*cough* Courteeners *cough* Kaiser Chiefs *cough* Jet *cough*). Truth be told there aren't really any bad tracks at all here, although not all of these tunes will hold up to be their most memorable. Highlights include a truly Oasis catchy as a cold lead single "Shock of the Lightning". I really dig it (excuse the pun) as it has what? two riffs in the whole song? Yet it still manages to be kick ass, with a notably awesome vocal performance by Liam. "Falling Down" is the best Noel singing tune on the album. "To Be Where There's Life" not only has a great Beatles-esque psychadelic haze with a middle eastern influence, but perhaps Andy Bells greatest bass hook. "The Nature of Reality" also kicks in with a great bluesy hard rock riff that wouldn't sound out of place on a ZZ Top album! Perhaps the biggest surprise about this album is that it very much seems to be Liam's album. Whilst on "Standing..." and "Heathen Chemistry" it kind of sounded like he was taking a backseat, here he is absolutely on fire. His performance on this album even out sheeeeiiiiines Noel, who has less singing duties than ever since their debut. There unfortunately seems to be a big lack of killer Noel guitar solos too, which is a big shame. But it is great to hear Liam not only giving it his all but *gasp* it sounds like he is not only taking his duties really seriously but he hasn't sounded like he has ever been so much into making a record before as he does here. It certainly doesn't sound like he has spent the sessions wasted and just turned up when he feels like it as we might picture him doing! "Dig Out Your Soul" is ultimately another fine Oasis album. It certainly delivers with just as much consistency and diversity in ideas as the last album, and sounds like a fine sequel. However it isn't going to win any new fans and is just as likely to be dismissed as it is likely to be loved by the fans. Hopefully this album will stand the test of time, though being so similar in parts to "Don't Believe the Truth" it may call for Oasis to really start to take us to another place entirely if they make another album.

Written by: Frenchie