ebotunes

The phrase “return to form” is one I’ve always felt to be a little over-used, and I’d imagine it’s had it’s fair share of column inches in relation to Dig Out Your Soul. In this case I’d say it’s not only a lazy observation, but an inaccurate one, what with the previous two Oasis albums being by no means wide of the mark. Indeed it took a while to be convinced this one was an improvement on Don’t Believe The Truth. Lead single Shock of the Lightning is Oasis-by-numbers, just as Lyla before it, and to a lesser extent The Hindu Times before that (although that was welcomed with accusations of bare-faced plagiarism, which is in itself something of a Gallagher trademark – and while we’re on that subject, why did everyone always bang on about Oasis ripping off The Beatles? Answer me this: have you ever seen Definitely Maybe and Never Mind The Bollocks in the same place at the same time?).

The familiar sounding comeback single tactic can go one of two ways; either you think Oasis are past it and can’t come up with anything fresh and original, or it reminds you of just why you love Oasis,justifying all thise teen years spent staring into the bathroom mirror wishing your eyebrows would grow a bit bushier. Also as a first single, SOTL fulfills it’s role of being one of the weaker tracks on the album. Falling Down, on the other hand probably prevails as the highlight.

One slight disappointment is Liam’s’ effort I’m Outta Time (which I was appalled to learn will be the second single), which is just a tad on the whiny side (‘If I had to go/In my heart you’d grow’ – come on Our Kid, grow a pair), but other than is decent enough musically. Other highlights include stomping opener Bag It Up, and Noel’s lo-fi effort (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady.

Soldier On is casually epic, and a fitting end to the album. Fitting in that from start to finish, Dig Out Your Soul is the sound of band wise enough not to try too hard. Beyond the first two singles, it’s difficult to pick out anything to suit a Radio 1 playlist, which hopefully signals a future where the masses can continue to chew over the Kaiser Chiefs and leave the rest of us in peace to enjoy the good stuff.

After all the effort of carefully selecting music for my iPod before I left, I’ve hardly even listened to it so far. On the first flight from London to Tokyo I was kept entertained by the films and muic they had on the wee screen at my seat. They had the new Raconteurs album (Consolers of the Lonely), which I hadn’t got round to buying/hearing yet, so I listened to that while I was snoozing. It’s pretty good! Although to be fair I always find that music sounds twice as good when your half asleep – it’s a strange phenomenon.

As I mentioned in my ramblings about Tokyo, the new Oasis album (Dig Out Your Soul) was released in Japan the day we arrived (a week earlier than in the UK), so I was dying to get alisten to that. When I got to Mount Fuji on Sunday night, I had an email saying that as part of the deluxe box set I’d ordered, I could download the album the day before it’s UK release! Which I did, but then couldn’t actually listen to on my iPod for various technical reasons. Until I got to Hiroshima, got it sorted and had a good listen. First impressions are good although it always takes a while to draw your attention away from the first couple of tracks and any singles you’ve heard already.

The new Metallica album is awesome! There’s probably not much more to say on that. It’s fast. It’s loud. It’s catchy. (Some would say too loud but that’s a story for another day!)

With this gig taking place in a church (a real one, there was a mass this morning at 11), I could write a full review littered with religious puns, but instead I’ll just give you the few important details. Tonight consisted mainly of Noel Gallagher, an acoustic guitar, a seat in the front row, and me.