Liam Gallagher “Why Me? Why Not.”
Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher picks up where his 2017 solo album As You Were left off, and he has learned a few things in the process. Liam can still mine that Oasis nostalgia (and his Beatlesque tendencies) on the opening single “Shockwave,” with its deep bass strut and catchy chorus. But there is a sense of maturity here, while no single is as strong as 2017’s “Greedy Soul,” the point of view is more varied. And the songs are consistently good.
“One of Us” recalls previous Oasis lyrics “…you said we’d live forever” and “Once” is a very Lennon-like mid-tempo ballad about self-reflection. The power-pop gem “Now That I’ve Found You” is likely the happiest song Gallagher has ever written. “Halo” and the title track are perfect singles that will stick in your brain. The atmospheric “Meadow” is a psychedelic “Mystery Tour” styled gem with George Harrison-like slide guitar flourishes. While not everything works, most of it does. The bombastic elements of his music tend to get repetitive, but even the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition are quality songs. Highly Recommended.
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ANC4 “ANC4”
ANC4 (aka Arvidson &Nilsson Combo Four) is a newly formed band that consists of four veterans of the Swedish music scene. The full line is Roger Arvidson (vocals/guitar), Tomas Nilsson (vocals/guitar – of The Mop Tops), Janne Borgh (bass/backing vocals – The Moderns), and Niclas “Tidaholm’s Ringo” Österberg (drums). The band seems to take most of its influence from The Byrds, Tom Petty, and The Beatles.
The opener “Easy Way Out” is a nice jangling gem with a memorable guitar hook in the chorus. Roger’s understated vocals work wonderfully here, and the alt. country “You Can Call Me Darling” has some sweet details like a tinkling xylophone and slide guitar. The band goes out of its way to try different styles early on, from the spacey “The Chronicle” to the new wave jangle on “No More Words.” Highlights include; “So Good To Me” and “Happy Again.” The band finds its sweet spot with the excellent “It Don’t Matter.” Musically this is all fun, but on occasion, the vocals just disappear (“When We Were There,” “Winner”) in the mix. Overall, a terrific album that deserves to be heard.
Kool Kat Musik | Amazon
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