Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul [Review]

1fastdog.

Posted to Music on Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 12:39:02 PM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

Oasis has a brand new album out called Dig Out Your Soul. The question here being; does Oasis bring enough rock to the table that you can, you know, actually dig it?

In somewhat of a comeback for the Gallagher brothers, the new album does indeed have enough enough energy, focus (and perhaps some soul as well), and the massive hooks that Oasis brings to the table when the spirit moves them, to be a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

While the critical reviews have so far fallen into the "generally favorable" category on Metacritic, I think the new album is pointedly better than that. Oasis had two superb records to start their career, the short, sharp Definitely Maybe and then the worldwide success of [What's The Story] Morning Glory. After the release of Morning Glory, the behavior of the band turned increasingly erratic, with Noel and Liam Gallagher fighting with themselves as well as several other bands riding the coattails of Oasis' success, most notably fellow Britpoppers, Blur. And while their next album Be Here Now was the fastest-selling album in UK chart history, it never had close to that level of success here in the US. With each release thereafter, Oasis seemed mired in a songwriting funk and their subsequent albums - excluding several greatest hits packages - have been met with critical and commercial yawns, mostly.

Dig Out Your Soul is a considerably better release than many expected it to be. Let's be clear from the start, this not a new direction for the band. Oasis never really changes what they do, though they have experimented with different sounding tracks from time to time, at their heart they're still a bombastic Britrock band that, along with a few intense ballads, serve up hooky, melodic, stadium-filling anthems that are second to none. And yes, they still love the Beatles, as is evident from the new tunes. This album is refreshed and energetic and sounds exactly like you'd expect a good Oasis album to sound like, but is thankfully free of the filler that had been cropping up over the past few albums. If you enjoyed their first three albums, but found later albums to be plodding and ponderous, this one with its sharp melodies and hooks will fill your expectations and then some.

Tracklist and final thought below:

 1. Bag It Up
 2. The Turning
 3. Waiting For The Rapture
 4. The Shock Of The Lightning
 5. I'm Outta Time
 6. [Get Off Your] High Horse Lady
 7. Falling Down
 8. To Be Where There's Life
 9. Ain't Got Nothin
 10. The Nature Of Reality
 11. Soldier On

Much like REM did earlier this year, Oasis has gone back to the past to find their future. There's nothing bad on this album, really. "[Get Off Your] High Horse" is the only major stumble with its forced attempt at bloozy psychedelia never really finding paydirt. And while "The Nature Of Reality" isn't terrible by any means, it cribs some Beatles riffs a little too closely, and never finds its own way. The rest of the tracks are pretty damn good I'm happy to say. All in all a fine return to form for the progenitors of '90s style Britrock.

7 and 3/4 outta 10.