Oasis Oasis
A truly classic album, that blows you off your socks. True enough, you won't find much originality here, you could even say that the Gallagher brothers are thieves. But they are excellent thieves. Good songwriting with echos (understatement that is) of the Beatles, the Stones, Mott the Hoople, Bowie, the Kinks, the Jam, the Sex Pistols, Manchester bands like the Stone Roses... Songs ranging from loud rockers (Roll with It) to gorgeous ballads with strings and keyboards (the huge hit Wonderwall). Don't Look Back in Anger and Champagne Supernova (that chorus!) are my favourites on this album.
Apart from the single D'You Know What I Mean?, there's not much that I like on this album (Be Here Now, maybe, All Around the World, probably). A serious disappointment after (What's the Story) Morning Glory. Too unwieldy, too uninspired, too much thievery, too much all over. What a shame.
Got this mainly for the Rolling Stones cover Street Fighting Man but wasn't overly impressed. All Around the World is one of the best songs off Be Here Now, but that's about it. Shame shame shame.
Ozark Henry A friend got this album for me at a Dutch record fair, for an advantageous price. This album preceding Ozark Henry's major breakthrough album Birthmarks shows a big evolution since I'm Seeking Something That Has Already Found Me. The music (as well as the songtitles) has been simplified, the emphasis is more on Piet Goddaer's excellent voice, the album as a whole sounds warmer and is dripping with melancholy. The album is at the same time accessible and complicated. The music is melodious, Piet Goddaer's voice the guideline, the overall sound is warm and tucks you in gently. But all the same the music is a complicated amalgam of triphop, jungle, experimental pop, new wave, acid jazz, with influences as diverse as Frank Zappa, Soul Coughing, David Bowie, The The, and instruments ranging from the obvious synthesizers to a string ensemble (The Audrey Riley Octet, also known from previous collaborations with The Smashing Pumpkins, Blur and The Cure). The general quality of the songs is high, but a few songs stand out: Radio (7.1.23.19.11.5.13.31) (a single that got quite a bit of airplay on the Belgian radio), Ocean (I'm Slipping Away from Me) with a beautiful poppy melody and synthesizer line, In and Out (the disguised title track) with striking samples, the funky Inhaling, and the short and sober Junkie Show. It's a Calling (Hear Me Out) is an outsider on the album, with more of a rock sound and a loud guitar. With This Last Warm Solitude Ozark Henry is slowly moving towards a bigger audience, but the music remains enjoyable for the more self-willed music lover.
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