Okay, so I've listened to all the available tracks(studio,clips,live performances) and it feels like a ...boring record?
I mean, i like most of the tracks but i dont find it to be trippy, dreamy or even experimental. If you have 20 sec of synth solo or bass licks throughout the song its not experimental.
I think Noel overhyped this one with his comments...It sounds like standard Noel with some electronic touches.
His voice is so bland it almost kills the songs(for me!)
When he described this record i immediately thought of Tame Impala's Lonerism or Currents. Now thats something i would call "experimental"!
Another thing...whats the reason why Plastic Ono Band is considered one of the best solo albums? Because it came from pain. Confusion,curiosity,hope,loss, these feelings create memorable records.
WBTM is so "full of joy" to the extent that for me it seems forced.
Noel said that feeling nostalgic is not a good thing, but with this album he's trying to recreate the joy of being able to do anything he wants. He wants to feel young again hence why he reinvented his approach, sound, band etc. But he comes across as weird, grumpy, like a dad who's having a midlife crisis.


Ps. He should've hired whoever wrote "It doesnt have to be this way". Maybe thats the sound he was looking for.
Peace

Welp...  

Nothing about IABW feels like Coldplay, and I haven't heard anything like Holy Moutain recently...it's distinctly Noel. Nothing wrong with that.

Really?  It reminds me a lot of some of the newer Coldplay records I.e. The ones I don't like that much.  Think that Beautiful World would be a relatively poor effort for Coldplay.  Just wish Noel hadn't gone into this as a 50:50 partner with Holmes, he should never forget that he is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and would love for him to hand over a load of ideas to a great, innovative producer, but not let someone steer him so far away from his natural talent.  So far it seems like two people sat in a studio thinking 'fuck me we're brilliant, let's add an alarm clock, scissors, random French quotes because we can' and nobody doing any quality control.  The songs so far seem to have had the life sucked out of them IMO.  Fort Knox is great though apart from the bell.  Still hope the whole thing will make sense as a complete album.

Maybe they will release ir on the albums' day of release to give it a Boost for the second week?

FK and HM included

I thought exactly same thing 

Just listened 2 times in a row and I feel I can review this thing. 2 times is not enough to get an album at the deepest point,so maybe this is just my first impressions.

Fort Knox: It opens with power,energy and an alarm bell. It works well with the Gotta get yourself together to prepare ourselves with what is set to come. Good songs as a record opener (or a gig opener) but as a song out of the record don't much for me. Really weird choice for a single but what do I know. 7/10


Holy Mountain: Don't like it as a single. Don't really dig it as a song. But in the record makes total sense. Joy and happiness after the opener to pump things up. Probably the weakest thing in the album to me. Catchy fucker but nothing more. 6'5/10


Keep On Reaching: I was kinda hyped for this song. Didn't caught my ear at all in the first two listens. But at this point in the record you can really tell that there's a different sound all over the songs and actually a different feel. Upbeat track with funky guitar intro and an organ combined with synths in the background. Noel sings this one pretty well,and as I expect the vocals are different but not thaaat far away from what we are used to. Rockier song with female vocals. Is not amazing but I think its alright and it will get a lot of new ears. 7/10


It's A Beautiful World: Right in time to calm things down a bit after 3 uptempo songs. At first I thought it was just a decent but weird song but when it comes in the record makes sense. Love the melody in the verses,the chorus is alright with good headphones. That interlude is kind of a dissapointment hearing the live version,but its so atmospherical and gets you so much into the song that I guess that its forgivable. 7'5/10


She Taught Me How To Fly: Absolutely love the vibe of the song. Its so happy that you can't say is a bad song. The melody in the verses and in the chorus its brilliant. Until he doesn't really sing nothing else. The first 2 minutes are pure gold but I really get tired of it when you can see that its 5 MINUTE LONG. 3'30 or so and the song should be over to be replayable. The guitars and the drums sound fantastic and combined with the melody,as I said,makes a great joy song. Shame that it gets so repetitive. Missing a guitar solo to justify the lenght. But well. 7/10


Be Careful What You Wish For: Now we're talking. Groove that you can't run away from. I wish there were more guitars like the live version with the acoustic playing chords. The female vocals are on point. I wish that I didn't think of this but I can't not imagining Liam on vocals on this song. That would be absolutely gold. Love the synths after the second chorus,really Doors-esque. The riff in the guitar is great,the vocal effect is great,the bass is great and the tiny guitar solo fits the song and the mood. What can I say? One of the highlights and just what I was expecting in a record like this one. He even says something about Waiting for the rapture in the lyrics. Great cousin for that song. 8'5/10


Black & White Sunshine: With a title like that I was expecting a slow song. But nope. I actually like it,the guitars sound fantastic and its a great driving song. Thats the feeling I get,specially in the chorus. Summer,driving to a holiday place with your mates. He was right about the joy feeling around in the album. And he was right about the rock n' roll feel so far. Its not really a huge guitar album but the sounds make you feel so free that I'm gonna risk and say it has a similar spirit that Definitely Maybe. Not talking about the songs or the sound on them. The spirit. Specially this song. Good one. 8/10


Interlude (Wednesday part 1): Great instrumental that fits perfectly in this point of the album. A little hip hop vibes and then some synths come with the arpeggio guitar. Feels really good in the moment and really well selected on the tracklist. Reminded me a bit of Shoot A Hole Into The Sun. 8/10


If Love Is The Law: Is it November 21st or is it December 24th? Jokes aside,great christmas song with those bells in the back during the verses and the chorus. At this point on the album you got more happy vibes instead of trippy ones. Is really a happy album. The harmonica fits the song and gives it another point of view. The last chorus gives it all and gives you a great feeling before the last song. Just like You Know We Can't Go Back did but more inspired. 8/10


The Man Who Built The Moon: Make room for the man who built the moon. Fuck yes. Brilliant song that sets the mood for the ending. Explosive and intense. The little bridge between the chorus and the second verse remind me of West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum album by Kasabian vibe. Amazing lyrics and huge synth (or tremolo on a guitar,can't really tell) in the backround. Powerfull song that ends the album in a really solid way. Another gem and one of my favourites. 9/10


End Credits (Wednesday part 2): That end credits title is perfect. Its like a song that sounds when the lights turn on and you're standing up ready to leave the cinema. Fits in the album perfectly. Sounds like part one but the difference is a little key solo. 8/10


Conclussion: With Holy Mountain I can say that I was really worried about this. The artwork doesn't give you the feel that a song like that could fit the album. A lot of the problems of this record is in the promotion that they gave it. Holy Mountain sounds like a happy single but if you really want to sell it to the people like its an experience and its something different for Noel release Its A Beautiful World should've been the lead single. Holy Mountain makes sense in the record and as I said in Black & White Sunshine,is not a dark-groovy-trippy record. Its a joyful and happy record. Its the closest spiritual sound to Definitely Maybe that any Gallagher album has ever had. Including Oasis ones. Freedom,happy and upbeat. Even the cover makes sense,it gives you that feeling of freedom. Not everybody is going to like this one,especially with As You Were out. But its a different experience that should be listened in a whole. And may not be the best Gallagher album,but its the most solid with As You Were. Its inevitable to compare these albums,but all I can say instead of saying which one is the best,is that both album are the most solid releases of all the post Oasis albums.

Favourite songs: Be Careful What You Wish For,The Man Who Built The Moon.

Weaker songs: Holy Mountain.


Overall: 8/10 Solid record.


The record is over but there's two more songs I can talk about. So there we go:



Dead In The Water: A Noel intimate acoustic song. We all know and love this moment of him. Wonderwall,If I Had A Gun,The Dying Of The Light,Alone On The Rope... There are plenty of songs of this kind by him. But non of them are as special as this one. Recorded while he was playing it for himself. You can feel that he was in a bubble singing his soul out when the song is over and the radio lad asks him if it is a new track and he suddenly wakes up and say: Sorry?
The lyrics are beautiful,the melody is haunting,and the song speaks for itself. The fact that is not a studio version makes it more special. 8'5/10


God Help Us All: I was hyped for this one. He performed this one a while ago in a sound check and it did sound great. With this album production we could've had an interesting point of view but...instead we got a fucking acoustic demo-sounding version. Its the exact same song that the soundcheck version in YouTube but with HQ quality. I was expecting so much more but meh. Just meh. Doesn't say nothing to me. 6/10


And thats all. What a year! Both Gallagher albums are out and I can actually say that I was expectical with both of them and I didn't feel let down when I listened to them. Thanks for taking your time and reading my little review! Enjoy the album

Can someone please guide me to a legit link? All that's coming up for me are those scam sites that ask you to complete a survey to unlock the download (which never work). Thanks.

Found it. Nice one.

I was online then and only was able to get it recently. I'm on She Taught Me How To Fly