Noel Gallagher never leaves the spotlight for long. Twenty-one years after Oasis' debut album release, 'Definitely Maybe', people started talking more about the last Gallagher brothers' feud or Noel's jibe towards "the slow and steady" disappearance of rock'n'roll than their legendary mid 1990s albums. In the wake of a post-Thatcher era, Oasis represented a fearless and organic rock band creating a fierce rivalry with other Britpop bands including Blur. We can forecast that the Gallagher brothers have now split up for good. However, they're both on "a rock'n'roll quest." This quest for a raw and protest rock'n'roll is not new among senior rock bands.
Though younger and more theatrical, Fall Out Boy claimed that it wanted to rekindle the rock'n'roll soul through its last 2013 album and tour "Save Rock and Roll."
Noel Gallagher made a first successful comeback in 2011 with the High Flying Birds built around former Oasis members and Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr. 'Chasing Yesterday' was then long-awaited by his large fan base. This album would likely appeal to many Oasis' fans.
The first songs show, if needed be, Noel Gallagher's songwriting talents. While 'In the Heart of the Moment' has been featured as the top album single, its "na na na na" harmonies and throbbing melody do not fully put us onboard. Fortunately, 'the Girl with the X-Ray Eyes' and 'the Dying of the Light' daydreaming ballads bring us back to Oasis best.
The rest of the album is a subtle mix of rock, soul, and blues seasoned with dizzy riffs and jazzy tint. 'The Mexican' catches us off-guard with its uncanny cowbells and dissonant choir with a false air of Californian band Cold War Kids. 'You Know We Can't Go Back' is a buoyant song echoing the album's title, while 'Ballad of the Mighty I' and 'Freeky Teeth' close off the album with addictive riffs and chorus.
Faithful to Noel Gallagher's beliefs on rock, the videos of 'In the Heart of the Moment' and 'Ballad of the Mighty I' are poorly designed. On the second song, the video director played with the singer's volcanic and free-spirited character, who appears to angrily storm off the stage at the end of the video. As if in another attempt to distance himself from the new wave of British artists including Sam Smith or Lily Allen, he clearly asserts once again he despises staging and Music marketing drifts.
Instead, he merely focuses on expressing his emotion on stage as he has done worldwide for more than two decades.
'Chasing Yesterday' follows Oasis' footpath. If Liam Gallagher still played with his brother, he would have probably approved of this album. Rejoice, Oasis is not dead! Although Oasis' brightest moments may belong to the past, there is still a lot to expect for its future thanks to Noel Gallagher's precise and efficient melodies brightened up by the Flying Birds splendid takeoff.
