ROCK

Liking a new Oasis album nowadays has less to do with the actual songs and more to do with how you feel about them. They, like their fellow indie spods turned megastars Coldplay and Razorlight, provoke wrath and rapture in equal measure in our fine nation. What 2005’s Don’t Believe the Truth did however was show that Noel Gallagher was unwilling to simply repeat the formula of the first two albums, opting instead to head down (for him at least) more psychedelic, adventurous routes, and it’s a route he’s continued on for Dig Out Your Soul.

At its worst, this means rifling through the pockets of Revolver once again in search of scraps and at its best, it means almost hazy acid trips (‘Falling Down’), huffy marching band truculence (‘Bag it Up’) and winsome Doors-isms (‘Waiting for the Rapture’) that, for the most part, are pretty great.

On the downside, Liam’s waggishness has been tempered, and there’s too much bombast and not enough hooks, but you get the feeling that Oasis not trying to be Oasis is infinitely more appealing than someone grasping for old glories.