Oasis
Don't Believe The Truth

THE REVIEW

The return that (almost) everyone was waiting for. These (almost) everyone hoped for an album of superior quality to the last "Heathen Chemistry," quite contradictory, containing gems and at the same time certain level banalities (who remembers "She Is Love"?). After a rather troubled studio work and the recruitment of Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr and current member of the Who) behind the drums, the hopes of those (almost) everyone can safely be said to have been repaid in the best way.
The album sounds very little Oasis, and very 70s, Stones-Kinks-(obviously) Who style.

The lead single, "Lyla," has the intro stolen (what a surprise...) from "Street Fighting Man." In essence, it's a highly catchy pop-rock track, as "Roll With It" or "The Hindu Times" had been in the past. Fast-paced rhythm, very simple drum part Doves style with offbeat in the chorus and guitar part without solos (as too often happens to the Manchester band).
In "Turn Up The Sun" there's a great piece, the jewel of the album. Rather hard and engaging sound (unheard of since the days of "Be Here Now") that shows us the band's change. In this change, the change of guard on the drums certainly had its importance. Zak Starkey has a very different technique from Alan White, who was a promoter of a much softer and less technical sound than the new addition. The ending is beautiful, with a slightly slower rhythm than the rather fast-paced track.
"The Meaning Of Soul" lasts less than two minutes and leaves listeners quite unmoved with its fast tempo, perhaps too much so. In "Mucky Fingers" it almost seems like listening to the Kinks, with a wonderful harmonica part in the final part. The instrumental part is extremely simple, with chords repeated throughout the four minutes. In the concluding "Let There Be Love," you hear the usual Oasis, pop as they had been quite in the past (just mention "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" and "Half The World Away"). The vocal alternation between Liam and Noel is very beautiful and delicate, the piece is a remake of a b-side from the "Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants" sessions.
Absolutely uninfluential pieces are "The Meaning Of Soul" and "The Importance Of Being Idle," perhaps the only ones below the value of the album along with "Part Of The Queue".

After the semi-flop of "Heathen Chemistry," an album that shows the Mancunian band in great form. Excellent tracks ("Turn Up The Sun," "A Bell Will Ring," "Mucky Fingers") alternated with rather subdued pieces ("The Meaning Of Soul") make this a very appreciable work. Surely the glories of "Definitely Maybe" and "Morning Glory" are now distant and perhaps unreachable by the five. One thing is certain: here there are tracks much less soft and pop than the previous two works, whose strength will certainly be live execution.

Satisfied or refunded? Certainly satisfied, even if not 100%, but 70%.