Words by Matthew Kliszcz.
If you’re put off by the latest offering from Liam Gallagher because you think it will be same old same old, you’ll be glad to hear that the NME have praised it “his most experimental album yet”. And it is. Indeed, C’mon You Know‘s opening song ‘More Power’, with the chanting of choir children, makes this abundantly clear. He’s not gone all soft on us though; he still maintains that iconic bellow on all fourteen tracks, making us feel as if we are stadium-bound, waving our arms, and singing along.
His uplifting lyrics are now accompanied by the piano, a string section as on ‘Moscow rules’, and a more unique approach to the drum section as on songs like ‘it was not meant to be’. Even more distinctive are the hints of psychedelia added to the recipe, evident in ‘diamonds in the dark’s’ allusion to The Beatles in ‘its hook “now I know how many holes”. Nothing slaps harder than his single ‘everything’s electric” (no longer just “she” who’s electric, then), his co-write with none other than Dave Grohl, surely making it the collab of the year. Other numbers are launched into with the raunchiest of electric guitar riffs, maintaining for Liam his long-standing image as the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll star of this generation. And its songs like these that pushed the album past Harry Styles to get to number one in the charts, his fourth solo album to reach such heights. It must be the sudden release from the shackles of the pandemic that attunes our hearts to such uplifting anthems with titles as optimistic as ‘better days’ and ‘I’m free’.
His Knebworth show sold out out within a day, attesting to this popularity. But you can still see him if you’re fast as he is sticking to touring for 2023 as well as this year (his poor vocal cords). He seems to manage to put on a show this popular, despite the fact his arms never leave the back of his body or his pockets. Surely this is proof he is one of the remaining artists who are in it for the songs themselves and not the image. Give it a spin and see for yourself.
Link to the Liam Gallagher website, for all those in search of tickets.
