ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - Chasing Yesterday
Taking on production duties himself has given former Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher the freedom to mix things up on Chasing Yesterday - his second solo album.
Riverman, a song Gallagher reckons could be the best he has ever written, gets things off to a flying start, even with its unexpected saxophone solo. In The Heat Of The Moment is nothing new, but follow-up single Ballad Of The Mighty I is some of his best work, with Johnny Marr providing ‘disco guitar’. The Girl With X-Ray Eyes snaffles the intro to Oasis B-side The Masterplan but there is a definite nod to Hotel California, while Lock All The Doors, originally written in 1992, sounds a lot like Morning Glory and could perhaps have been enhanced with Noel’s brother Liam’s snarling vocal. The jazz-infused The Right Stuff might not sit well with the Oasis crowd but is definitely a highlight on another strong solo effort.