Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Who Built The Moon? (Japanese Edition)

And in the end, the response to the success of the younger brother didn't take long to arrive.

The time has come for the third studio effort from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, that is, Noel Gallagher solo. And this time around, there are plenty of changes, starting with the band: drummer Chris Sharrock and guitarist Gem Archer have joined the lineup, two members from the last incarnation of Oasis before they split. And for this new “Who Built The Moon?” there’s also a new producer: it’s none other than David Holmes, the Northern Irish musician responsible, among other things, for the soundtrack of Steven Soderbergh's classic “Out Of Sight.”

Recorded over nearly two years in Belfast, the new work represents a heralded artistic shift compared to the first two solo efforts of the elder Gallagher; let’s be clear, there is nothing particularly shocking or innovative in these thirteen tracks, but The Chief has certainly pushed far beyond what we've been accustomed to until now.

The album opens with an instrumental halfway between the less edgy Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy from “Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned” (both bands with whom Noel has collaborated, in the case of Prodigy right on the cited album, together with brother Liam – the track was “Shoot Down”), “Fort Knox,” and continues with the first (much-discussed, due to a curious similarity in the melody with Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs”) single “Holy Mountain,” very à la The Vaccines. From there on, the game of quotes (as often happens in a Gallagher album) becomes evident, in this case, perhaps too much; if “Keep On Reaching” says nothing special but at least focuses on a compelling crescendo of choirs and brass, the single “It’s A Beautiful World” is an update of what U2 did twenty years ago with the controversial “Pop,” “She Taught Me How To Fly” is pure New Order extract, while “Be Careful What You Wish For” is a re-reading of “Come Together” filtered through “Even Flow” by Pearl Jam.

From then on, fortunately, Gallagher brings out his undeniable personality once again; if “Black And White Sunshine” is a clear example of what Oasis could have really been away from the pressures and certain constraints imposed by a band status now historic, “If Love Is The Law” enchants with its retro and smoky crescendo (an art in which the elder Gallagher is a master), while the semi-title track is, hands down, one of the best things ever written by the talented British songwriter. Driven by a bluesy guitar and graced by a stunning vocal performance by Noel, it is truly a pleasure to hear and is a candidate for a future classic in our artist's solo production.

After a closing instrumental, in the Japanese edition of the album, we find two authentic gems: a splendid, sumptuous “Dead In The Water” recorded live almost unexpectedly at RTÉ 2FM Studios in Dublin (a classic Noel Gallagher guitar and voice piece, in the vein of old milestones like “Talk Tonight” and “Half The World Away”) and the treat “Gold Help Us All,” an old unreleased Oasis track (also a sort of almost country acoustic pastime) already leaked online in demo version.

“Who Built The Moon?” is a determined first step towards something new for Noel Gallagher, and as widely predictable, it has proven to be a good step (the talent is undeniable, it's there), but a little bit limping. Whoever starts well is, traditionally, halfway there. We’ll see.

Best track: The Man Who Built The Moon