Oasis - Don’t Believe The Truth

’s being crying wolf for years now. Can a band who’ve been trading on past glories for so long really turn it around? Is it even really the same band that hijacked Britpop with a cocky Mancunian swagger ten years ago? ‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ may be one final drink in the last chance saloon for Oasis. Despite a fanbase as strong as ever, the world won’t keep believing the next great track to define a generation is around the corner forever. This time though, they may just have delivered.

‘A Bell Will Ring’ may be the best thing we’ve heard from Oasis in years, but it isn’t a Gallagher lighter waving anthem; Gem Archer has taken a band now featuring the closest thing to a Beatle they could employ, and made them sound like a cut taken straight from ‘Revolver’. A siren like riff building into a full on stomp, it almost tames Liam’s arrogant drawl in the process. Perhaps the addition of some proper musicians is finally paying off after all.

But it’s not just there that ‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ becomes a team game. ‘Turn Up The Sun’ and ‘Keep The Dream Alive’ provide Andy Bell’s contribution. The latter a storming album opener that plays on the turbulant Gallagher family bond as much as it does any conventional relationship, the former a hazy, almost psychedelic with a rising chorus the size of Everest. Even Liam makes up for ‘Little James’ with the rousing ‘Meaning of Soul’.

Not that Oasis’ enigmatic songwriter-in-chief is going down without a fight. ‘Mucky Fingers’ may be ‘a song about gardening’, but when it’s backed up with some top drawer jangling rock ‘n’ roll and a harmonica solo (yes, harmonica), does it really matter? ‘The Importance Of Being Idle’ goes from latino troubadour to lazy summer afternoons, whilst ‘Let There Be Love’ sees both Gallaghers on top form, even if they are trying to emulate their heroes a tad too hard. The radio friendly ‘Lyla’ may be a Number One, but it’s far from being anywhere near the strongest track.

‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ may not be up there with Definitely Maybe’ or ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’, but it’s by far the best thing since. And for any other band, that would be more than good enough.