Liam Gallagher
Why Me? Why Not.

This time Liam Gallagher even asks us in the title.

Why him? Well, why not. And in the end, it's hard to fault him. A career that seemed in free fall (indeed, practically stalled) suddenly revived by a solo album of exceptional success (in the first week in the UK, it sold more than the entire top ten combined), newfound visibility and (above all) a finally high-quality offering once again.

Accepting his own limits was the first step towards rebirth: Liam, accused by many of being arrogant and presumptuous, took a step back and accepted working with co-writers (and what co-writers, led by Greg Kurstin, the recent endless golden egg producer), realizing his role as an exceptional frontman and interpreter, yet with songwriting qualities certainly not sufficient (even though some of the best material from his debut “As You Were” was entirely his own creation).

One approaches an album by the younger Gallagher always the same way: Liam is extremely derivative, and he prides himself on it. When he describes a song, he always refers to a classic inspiration (the ubiquitous Lennon first and foremost), and compared to the already excellent debut, this time something more was needed. Putting aside initial ambitions for a rawer punk rock album with a Stooges orientation, Gallagher scrapped everything and started afresh with the same team of co-writers and producers as the first work. The result is astonishing.

“Why Me? Why Not.” (title inspired by two paintings by John Lennon that Yoko Ono gave to the former Oasis frontman) is a record notably superior to the already inspired predecessor and in general one of the best rock albums of recent months. At times, it even manages to surprise. Sure, the traits are the same (in the rock blues of the single "Shockwave" and in the '70s cut of "The River," there's much of the very last Oasis, just as “Once” is an amazing ballad that undeniably brings Lennon to mind), but when risk is taken, it's taken intelligently (Andrew Wyatt's work in this regard is monumental, always choosing the right attire for a Liam voice never this fit), and one might fall off the chair when a pounding Depeche Mode-like (!!) bass line begins in the bonus track "Invisible Sun," or when a guitar in full Morricone (!!!) leads to a spoken word (!!!) in the torrential “Gone," placed at the end.

In the middle, lots of classic Gallagher: “Now That I Found You” (likely the next hit) is lively and carefree, rejuvenating the Mancunian by at least twenty years, featuring a super fresh melody, a sunny and smart guitar, and a chorus to memorize after half a listen. “Halo” and the other bonus “Glimmer” hark back to the Beady Eye days, the former even to the disastrous “Bring The Light” (but with a development ten times superior). “Be Still” and the title track are the rock heart of the album, “Alright Now” (again Lennon) and “Meadow” (George Harrison) the psychedelic section (amazing Kurstin's arrangement for the latter), “Misunderstood” (another bonus) elevates Liam to the height of Robbie Williams (the surprising one of “Escapology,” not the current clumsy solo attempts).

“Why Me? Why Not.” returns to Liam Gallagher a solid role in meaningful rock music, definitively helping to rebuild his artistic credibility.

Best track: Once