More on: Oasis

Label: Big Brother
Release Date: 29/09/08
Rating:

And so it begins, after another round of Noel Gallagher interviews talking up a forthcoming Oasis album, we get not one but two tastes of what we can expect from 'Dig Out Your Soul'. Noel has talked about a groove-based album, with heavy, bluesy guitar - a long player with only "one obvious" single.

So after the success of 'Don't Believe The Truth', is this a track that will do for them now what 'Lyla' did in 2005? Well, this is certainly a trademark Oasis comeback single - bold, brash, loud and as often is the case unlike anything else on the radio. 'Shock Of The Lightning' is a simple, straight forward exciting piece of rock and roll. It's a loud, thumping piece - a bulldozer quite frankly, and the more you listen the better it gets.

With a typically cryptic lyric and a Liam vocal that could be his best in years, the first thing your realise is that, like limited release 'Lord Don't Slow Me Down', this is Oasis sounding like a band truly comfortable with their place in the world. As they sang on the first ever track from their first album 14 years ago, 'It's Just Rock and Roll'. Thank god.

But hold on...we're not done. Now, 'The Shock Of The Lightning' may well have been walking away with a higher rating, but when you compare it to the Noel-sung 'Falling Down', well, it seems a bit... ordinary. This is something else. It's a song to make you tingle, to believe that maybe, maybe, they do have an album to make people really sit up and take notice this time.

Because, and this is no exaggeration, 'Falling Down' is brilliant. Honestly. It's Oasis doing their own version of 'Setting Sun'; it's beautifully sung by Noel, has great lyrics, a string sample that literally feels like you are taking off and a brilliant breakdown that crashes back into the chorus and blows you away. Forget the Chemical Brothers remix that was leaked last month, this is miles better.

It sounds like no other Oasis song I can remember; it is, dare I say, a massive leap forward. It's mid-tempo mostly but you could easily dance to it, which makes you believe that touring all that time with Kasabian has rubbed off on Noel. Psychedelic rock and roll of the very highest order, it haunts, lifts and thrills in equal measure.

Mark Wilkins

Oasis Official Site