By Michael Lello
Looked at as a debut album — which it is — Beady Eye’s “Different Gear, Still Speeding” is just fine. But in the wake of Oasis’ dibanding, the band needed to deliver a bit more to make fans put these songs alongside “Live Forever,” “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” “Champagne Supernova” or “Wonderwall.”
When Oasis broke up following the departure of bandleader Noel Gallagher, the remaining members decided to give it a go as Beady Eye. The new moniker, however, does not mean Liam Gallagher, Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock were going for a new sound. No, this is an Oasis album in everything but name. All that’s missing are the standard two or three Noel-sung songs which helped lighten the load of listening to Liam’s sneer for about an hour.
Like Oasis, Beady Eye isn’t concerned with masking its influences. There’s even a song called “Beatles And Stones,” which actually sounds a lot like The Who’s “My Generation.” “The Roller” (listen to it below), too, draws directly from years gone by, sounding a lot like a John Lennon track, while “For Anyone” sounds a bit like a McCartney Beatles tune. That said, “For Anyone” is a beautiful, simple and tender song that deserves to be heard, comparisons aside — and there’s certainly no shame in being compared to The Beatles.
The members’ attitudes– such a driving force in Oasis — remains intact, especially the swaggering Liam. The fire in songs like opener “Four Letter Word” makes you feel like he as something to prove, but in listening to “Different Gear, Still Speeding,” it’s not always easy to say that he and the band have succeeded.
Rating: 65/81
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