Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Noel Gallagher is as hard to photograph as Bigfoot.

To begin, I thought I hated this man for causing every amateur musician in the world to take up guitar specifically to learn Wonderwall to impress girls in beanies at low attendance house parties. As it turns out, this man can really write. He's also a great singer. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I can't help but feel a bit betrayed by my tastes. Shut up tastes! I tell you what to like! Not the other way around. For anyone who isn't following this rant, Noel Gallagher is credited with the majority of the writing for the English easy rock group Oasis.

Now that that's out of the way, I actually couldn't get enough of this record. For the first time in a while, I agree with the labels decision to release "If I had a Gun..." as the first single. This is an awesome track that I wouldn't mind replacing Wonderwall in the guitar catalog of new-to-the-game hippies.

The album opens with a sweet tom roll, that explodes into a majestic little string and vocal verse. This opens up into one of the most memorable verses on the record, after calming down a bit. Gallghers vocal power is on display for this one, and it really only took this one track to turn me to his side. The record follows in suit, with every track delivering a rock solid chorus, and lovable instrumentation. If I Had a Gun... shows up at track 3, and the record really could have just been called that. This song is the one that will keep this man famous for a long time. Aside from the billions of dollars he's still collecting off of royalties from indie films that continue to use Oasis-fueled soundtracks.

This is a pop record of pop records, some horns here, some strings there. Dream On has some heavy hitting horn interludes that blow the record up. It really gets massive at some points, which I love. The singles are raging, there's no doubt about that, but I bet you anything the track you're still singing after the first listen is (I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine. It's too catchy for it's own good. Which is odd, since the main hook goes something like "I wanna live in a dream, in my record machine... I want a piece of the world and everyone inside my mouth." Now I'm not saying that Noel is insinuating anything here, but the whole world in your mouth? Even Canadians? That's sick Noel. You're a brave, sick, man.

 

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - If I Had A Gun

Overall, this record came as a surprise. If you'd have told me 6 months ago that I would love a record by one of the guys from Oasis, I would have smacked you across the face. For insolence, and blaspheme. But I'll be damned if you wouldn't have been right. Damn you Noel, I'll get inside your mouth any day.

Final Word: 10 out of 11.