Since 2009 that Oasis are not a thing, but that did not stop any of the Gallagher brothers from creating music. While Noel Gallagher embarked on his solo trip with his band, the High Flying Birds, Liam created Beady Eye along with the other members of Oasis. However, Beady Eye were a commercial failure and more than that, their work was never critically acclaimed and they split up in 2014 leaving Liam Gallagher out of the spotlight.
Fast forward to 2016 and with the promotion of the documentary, Supersonic, the first rumors of a solo album from Liam appeared. Initially dismissed, they were soon confirmed and despite the long wait between the announcement of the record and the first single, Wall of Glass, we finally have the finished product.
Has Rkid recovered his image? The album title, As You Were, leaves that idea in the air, that it´s something that wants exactly that, make Liam relevant again and with that we go on to a more detailed analysis of the actual record and it´s fifteen tracks(twelve if you only listen to the Standard Edition).
As You Were opens with the first single of this solo trip, Wall of Glass, which is a very catchy melody, although it wears out kinda quickly because the lack of the a big chorus is notorious and that makes the song a loop of the same melody. Although, in a music world where leaving a catchy tune for people to listen is of increasing importance, it did it´s job perfectly and kudos to Greg Kurstin in the making of this tune, songwriter known for working with other artists like Adele, etc.
Bold and Greedy Soul are next and we meet the first two tracks mainly written by LG. Bold is one of the highlights of the entire record, it builds up in a incredible way towards a ending full of energy.
Greedy Soul is not what we were expecting because the live version gave us the impression of a rocker and the studio version tends more to Pop, losing the song some of it´s life as a consequence.
Paper Crown is next and it´s a very warming ballad with Liam´s voice being the highlight.
For What It´s Worth is possibly one of the more Oasis like tunes on this record. It´s Liam´s attempt at creating a Stop Crying Your Heart Out, or a Don´t Look Back in Anger to use as the anthem for his solo era. Still it never quite reaches the levels of the songs previously mentioned and the whole song is not really something we identify with Liam, but then again it´s 2017 and we have listened to him singing Don´t Look Back in Anger. It´s a somewhat forced apology song.
When I´m In Need, You Better Run and I Get By follow. The first one is another one highlight, and Liam actually plays guitar in the very beginning of this song and it´s a incredible vocal take that matches up well with how the song grows during it´s length.
The latter tracks are possibly some of the weakest tracks on the record, we get a lot of Beady Eye vibes while listening to them. They escape a skip because they are the only real rockers and are a nice change of pace along with the fact Liam´s voice lifts them a notch or two.
We now enter the final part of the Standard Edition and we have four songs, Chinatown, Come Back To Me, Universal Gleam and I´ve All I Need. The first one was released before the album came out and while it´s very basic in lyrical terms, it has one of the more complex and evolved melodies in the entire record and it´s always a good listen, even though lyrics like "What´s a European?" still makes us giggle.
The other ones are a nice trio. Come Back To Me should have been a single. It´s a very nice combination of a 90´s style sound with a modern touch and would have been a great promotion for the actual record.
Universal Gleam reminds us of a Tender version made by a Gallagher, which is ironic enough in itself while I´ve All I Need is another song that grows a lot and it´s ending is one of the highlights of the record.
Regarding the songs included in the Deluxe Edition, we have to mention Doesn´t Have To Be That Way. It´s a type of sound we never expected to hear from a Gallagher. It´s like Tame Impala entered the studio and helped Liam write that song. Something that feels like 2017 and should have been included in the Standard Edition version of the record. It´s omission it´s comparable to the way Let´s All Make Believe was not included on Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants by Oasis in the year 2000.
Although some tunes break the series of quality songs, As You Were is a very more complex and quality record than any of Beady Eye´s and it´s the best work from a Gallagher since Oasis split. On par with Noel´s Chasing Yesterday that is.
Review Link(In Portuguese): www.comunidadeculturaearte.com/as-you-were-e-um-disco-bem-conseguido-por-liam-gallagher-talvez-o-melhor-desde-o-fim-dos-oasis/