Liam Gallagher
As You Were

As surprising as it may be, the first thing to jump out from this "As You Were," the solo debut of the almost 45-year-old Liam Gallagher, is the vulnerability of its author/performer.

He himself admitted to having been practically forced to embark on a solo journey ("I don't have a band but somehow I want to move forward, even though I would have preferred a new Oasis album") and to have fully understood his own limitations as a songwriter, so much so that he accepted Warner's proposal (impressed by two pieces brought by Gallagher in the form of demos, the beautiful pop rock gem "Bold" and the crescendo ballad "When I'm In Need") to work with external authors.

The most significant name in this regard is the highly sought-after Greg Kurstin, fresh off his triumph with the latest Foo Fighters album, who collaborates here in the writing and production of no less than five pieces, assisted by producer Dan Grech-Marguerat (The Vaccines, Lana Del Rey, Moby, Keane) and Andrew Wyatt.

The album opens with the now well-known first single "Wall Of Glass," a well-crafted paced rock track introduced by tight guitars and a nice harmonica part; at the center, as throughout the record, is the revitalized voice of a Liam, never in such fine form since the days of "Be Here Now" (thanks to the resolution of bothersome thyroid problems). It is followed by the aforementioned "Bold," as mentioned, a driving pop rock culminating in a finale dominated by a hammering rhythmic variation, between echo effect and double voices.

After the new single "Greedy Soul" (a driven rock in the vein of the very early Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) comes "Paper Crown," one of the best results from the collaboration with Kurstin; an essential, direct ballad enriched by what is probably one of Liam's best-ever vocal performances. Where other producers would probably have overloaded it with strings and horns, Kurstin opts to keep everything as stripped back as possible, hitting the target and giving the ex-Oasis another potential hit.

The following "For What It's Worth" is the most Oasis-like piece of the lot, a ballad co-signed by Simon Aldred of Cherry Ghost, very close to things like "Whatever" and "Stand By Me," but with a more current melodic taste, very close to what Robbie Williams did in his best period ("Escapology"). After the already mentioned "When I'm In Need," two rock 'n roll tracks follow, the wild "You Better Run" and the more paced "I Get By," before the abrupt slowdown with the surprising second single "Chinatown": an ethereal track, very far from the usual Gallagher-style, an airy ballad enriched by the finger-picking of the precious former Jeff Buckley guitarist Michael Tigue.

"Come Back To Me" (again with Kurstin's contribution) is pure Britpop, but certainly not in the Oasis zone, rather a blend of sounds that primarily recalls bands of the time like Cast and Verve. "Universal Gleam" slows down again and vaguely recalls... the Blur of "Tender" (how things change), with a much richer arrangement in the service of yet another, impeccable vocal performance from Liam. Closing the album is the stellar "I've All I Need," clearly the best track of the lot, openly inspired by the never-forgotten La's atmospheres; the track is entirely credited to Gallagher (as are "Bold," "When I'm In Need," and "Universal Gleam") and is the clear demonstration of the artist's surprisingly mature development as a songwriter.

A beautiful pop rock album, this "As You Were," clearly conservative and not innovative but with an incredible taste for melody crafting, really well produced with a clear project in mind. To make an album of excellent rock music with a well-defined direction.

Rightly among the great surprises of the year.

Best track: "I've All I Need"