The Word Was On the Street

After becoming the Modfathers of the ’90s and winning the Brit-pop war, Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? proved to be a wondrous wall of alternative sound. More than a decade later and following a fallout with the general American MTV generation, Dig Out Your Soul may keep longtime Oasis fans hip and happy, but won’t garner any new (younger) admiration.The album starts out with “Bag It Up” sounding like a slightly watered-down Black Keys track. It’s heavy on the blues, but with brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher belting their usual Beatles-esque harmonies. The song boasts a newer, but somewhat falsely raw sound that departs from that 90s aggression. “Bag It Up” unsuccessfully tries to harness the retro-edge some of the younger groups have been dishing out these past few years.

Fortunately, “Waiting For the Rapture” is the point of redemption. While still maintaining that British blues vibe, Liam boasts his infamous Paul Weller/Steve Marriot impression that gives this track the right amount of grit to boost listeners’ interest.

The album closes with “Soldier On,” which is classic Oasis and leaves pop fans a pleasant taste in their mouth after enduring a much unprepared venture into an unprepared sound. Dig Out Your Soul proves that everyone’s favorite Blur rivals aren’t completely tapped, but in a modern world where everyone is taking a little Who, a little Kinks and a little Muddy Waters, Oasis’ attempt was too little, too late.