MY REVIEWA team effort. Yes, i would like for Liam to have his day in the sun without the help of his new daddys (or big brother). A almost 50, it's time for Liam to come out of the little brother closet. This will come, i think, because this record is a clear sign of things moving forward compared to the last record Liam (only) put his voice on. This one feels different. Maybe it's not, but i feel it. More involvement, less fake-feeling songs (Once, Now that I've found you, although i like those songs lyrically, scream selling strategy).
More Power - Probably one of the most honest and open heart song Liam has ever written. Because yeah, the general consensus here is that we feel Liam has written that song, with some twits and turns by Wyatt. This is how this collaboration should work. Bring your song Liam, Wyatt is adding the paint and strengthen the structure. I love the choir, i think it's very sweet and not to upfront, and it's an original way to start a record, piano and guitars raw enough to not turn it into a bubble gum tune. The ending could have been better though, feels like they ran out of ideas and did a "Her Majesty" sticking something completely random to end the song. 9/10 though.
Diamond in the dark - Alex Turner could sue. Or not. An obvious borrow, but i also hear modern era Weezer in the chorus. Very west coast Weezer White Album / Pacific Daydream mixed with some Black Keys. Liam elevates the song. The Beatles lines was unnecessary, why god why, STOP. Maybe someday we'll get a gallagher record without a beatles reference.
7/10. Dont Go Halfway - Seems like this song isn't liked much. I love it. Obvious steal from the Beatle's Revolver era, and i also hear The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (That's Lennon son's band) on their album Midnight Sun. Noel would be proud. It's a smart steal.
7/10. Too god for Giving up - I'm a sucker for good ballads, something Noel could do perfectly back then but lost a bit lately, falling into the syrup kind of tunes. Well done on this one, again managed to keep it raw enough to make it work. The alternate version is a clear example of what shouldn't be done. they kept a demo version vocals, and it lifts the song up, because Liam's voice is fragile, about to break (
). It's drowned in the mix the way it was meant to be.
8/10. It was not meant to be - I didnt except Liam Gallagher to go into the alt scene of the US. Very Barenaked ladies early 00s, or Fountains of Wayne, which is a personal favorite band on mine. Should have lost the silly effect on the voice though. But it's a fun song. Feels like they didnt really know where to go and the middle 8 or break is totally unecessary and kinda ruins the song. I dont like those "changes for the sake of change" in a song. It doesn't matter is it's linear or repetitive, usually these songs are, just make it shorter, that's it.. but since the passing of Adam Schelsinger and the semi retirement of Chris Collingwood, this is the closest i'll get a new Fountains of Wayne tune, so yay
6/10. EE - i dont care for that song at all. IMHO Liam should ditch the fake rock n roll altogether and focus on new sound altogether. This is not something i will play, sounds like the new Black Keys where every song sound the same for the past 3 records. Skip on my playlist album.
3/10. Shame on you Dave Grohl, and Kurstin ? please go away.
World in need - Lyrics are the letdown, they dont help the melody, on the verse especially, which a traditional stop and go Liam. But the production is absolutely immense, a trip in the mind.
6/10. Moscow Rules - The monster song of the record. Again, a drop of The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger with some theatrical twists with of course strings borrowed from A day in the Life and Eleonor Rigby, but just a tad. It's been 60 years, can i steal it ? Yes, you can.
12/10 it's just perfect.
I'm Free - Ok ok, Wyatt, you had fun on this one. The filler of this record, with nods to the Charlatans, Blur (S/T era) and a bit of reggae. Even in Liam's vocals you can feel he doesn't feel this one. It's a fun though.
6/10.
Better Days - Another obvious intervention from the label "hey wyatt, what, we need a single dude". The intro is nice, and then it falls into a pop-electro-rock budget porridge that's really not my cup of tea. Check and check lyrics and melody you already know before you heard it. If Liam wrote some of it, then they should have told him to be a bit more original, or Wyatt didn't find the right twists to make the melody a bit crazier. There was a huge song in there, it ends up behing a best of every Oasis sound, every beatles sounds, every chemical brother sound, every Katy Perry sound, or even a best of every sound produced in the last 30 years and it ends with not one but two fade outs.. Perfect cringe score. But it will work on shitty speakers at festival for people who listen to half of the songs.
What's the point - ah yes, to sell a record, ok then, skip !
3/10.
Oh Sweet Children - If Macca circa Venus and Mars and Sheryl Crow had a baby, this song would be it. The T-rex reference too. Well, i like it. Because i like early sheryl crow records (the second one is a beast). Classic song, not too many risks taken here, but it's a good closer i think. Liam delivers another raw and sweet vocals, not shouting like he used to on some previous ballads. another fade out though. Meh.
8/10.
The Joker - Mix of Charlatans or Dirty Pretty things (second record) and US influences. Anthony Rossomando is gonna get a bit check for this one, since he probably wrote 99% of it. Grew a lot on me and i think it was supposed to be on the record before Grohl thought he was needed on a Liam record. Deserved to be on the main track listing. 7/10.
Wave - Same, grew a lot. A clear example of the craziness wyatt added to this record. The song is pretty uneventful at first, but then you're like "I get it!"
The production gives it life. The ending especially, should have been on the main tracklisting too.
7 /10Overall rating : A strong
8/10. Sure, this is not what i want from Liam, but this time, it feels different. No fake feelings, no fake apologies, no petty attacks on Noel to sell a record, but actually more open lyrics to maybe try to patch things up. Liam is more mellow, willing to (really) make amends on his penned tracks.
Clear contributions, better vocals, stellar production, looks like they gave Wyatt the keys to the studio and let his crazy mind work. The result is something i didn't expect. The steals are more hommage than copy and paste, and that is refreshing. This is was we discussed in other thread : take influences and make it your own. Wyatt has managed to get a step up in the production chair.
It will be interesting for the next record. Give it time, write together or alone, expand the sound, lose the army to make a real 100% duo collab. And you'll be fine.
My perfect COYK: 11 track record.
More Power
Diamond In The Dark
Don't Go Halfway
C'mon You Know
Too Good For Giving Up
It Was Not Meant To Be
The Joker
World's In Need
Moscow Rules
Wave
Oh Sweet Children
Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5