Will Noel Gallagher ever fully shake the past? Perhaps not, but the former Oasis man nevertheless continues to wade further into a solo career – and cautious experimentation – with his High Flying Birds.
There are songs on his second album that you couldn't imagine hearing on an Oasis record, most notably the loungey jazz-flavoured The Right Stuff and the groovy swagger of Ballad of the Mighty I.
They're sandwiched in between the anticipated stadium rock anthems such as Lock All the Doors and In the Heat of the Moment, but the pensive strum of Riverman and the psych-pop Girl with the X-Ray Eyes keep things interesting.
There are few surprises here but it’s a consistent, well-balanced rock album, regardless.
