IN REVIEW: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - "Chasing Yesterday"

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Noel Gallagher's second solo disc is aptly named, as the opening seconds and their none-too-subtle callback to Wonderwall will attest to; Riverman practically screams to be inserted into the Wonderwall/Boulevard of Broken Dreams mashup, but stands as a decent enough song on its own. Elsewhere, Gallagher displays a general tendency to recall his glory days through various lyrical and musical cues; it's even written in song titles like While the Song Remains the Same and You Know We Can't Go Back. 

Chasing Yesterday does boast some strong songs, notably lead single In the Heat of the Moment, slow burner The Dying of the Light (which also features some of that Wonderwall vibe), and the thumping, majestic album closer Ballad of the Mighty I. Elsewhere, there are flashes of Sgt. Pepper-era Beatles (The Girl With X-Ray Eyes), nods to Stone Roses psych-soul (The Right Stuff) and ill-fated attempts at muscular rock (The Mexican, an even more puzzling album inclusion given that Do the Damage, by far the best rock song Gallagher penned during the album sessions, is relegated to B-side status). 

All in all, Chasing Yesterday is an album that's light on surprises, but inoffensive to longtime fans eagerly awaiting the inevitable Oasis reunion.

March 3, 2015 • Kobalt/Sony
Highlights In the Heat of the Moment • The Dying of the Light • Ballad of the Mighty I

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