Dig Out Your Soul by Oasis

Oasis were in many ways victims of post modernity. Their Smiths, Kinks and Beatles drenched music, defined 90’s Britain. But whilst this made them rock stars, it by no means made them masters of the craft. The Gallaghers emerged at a time when it had all been done, and more so than anyone, it was clear they could never achieve the greatness of their idols. In a desperate attempt to prove their worth and escape from the shadow of Wonderwall, Oasis fell deeper into mediocrity from album to album. With their most refreshing work in years, Dig Out Your Soul sees Oasis no longer fearful of their legacy, as they accept their limitations and produce a fantastic slice of British Rock.

The opener ‘Bag It Up’, with its delicious indulgence in slick, hard edged riffs and screeching melodies, makes it a glorious fanfare of a track. The good times continue to roll, with the infectious groove of ‘The Turning’ and the rock stomp of ‘Waiting for the Rapture’. Then with ‘(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady’ we see that Oasis have in many ways tamed everything that once dragged them down. This song has all the symptoms of their own brand of mediocrity; repetitive lyrics, simplistic riffs and a feeling the song is going absolutely nowhere, yet somehow all this has been brought into line. Even the notorious Gallagher vocal appears to have been tamed, as its place in the mix allows its hidden charm to emerge.

From the first strums of ‘The Shock of the Lightning’, its clear that this little number was born to be a single. Whilst such seemingly nonsensical lyrics as “Love is a time machine/Up on the silver screen”, suggest Noel will never surpass “Today is gonna be the day...” it is so irresistibly built for a sing-along, you really don’t care. Then comes the jewel that is ‘Falling Down’, which with its eloquent refrain “Falling down is all that I’ve ever known” has smacks of beauty, unparalleled by Noel’s recent output.

Surprise, surprise, Dig Out Your Soul isn’t a seminal piece, and the song writing contributions of Liam, guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell all suggests that Noel is the only songwriter for the band. Liam’s piano ballad ‘I’m Outta Time’ is dripping with Lennon influence, however whilst this begins with strength, it soon fades into sub-par pastiche. However, whilst these efforts at no point rival Noel’s, the continuation of existing motifs and sounds within the album, create a sense of completion.

Dig Out Your Soul, despite being a triumph for the flailing rockers, is by no account their passage into greatness. This far into their career The Who had released Quadrophenia, and of course The Beatles had long since accomplished immortality and disbanded. However, if nothing else it remains an excellent album, which is enough to remind us why this quintet, represent everything that is great about the British rock tradition.