Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - 'Chasing Yesterday' Review

With Beady Eye gone, Noel is the last Gallagher standing to fly the flag. Despite being his 'High Flying Birds' with various random but cherry picked musicians (The Zuton's bassist?!), this project is mainly a solo one with the luxury of being able to sing every tune he writes. You get the feeling he relishes the fact he is in complete control of the entire record making process nowadays. The self titled first effort in 2011 was a fabulous album and one that further cemented himself as an iconic songwriter. His live performance of that album was effortless, recalling a memorable night at the o2 arena, London.

So three and a bit years on, after an EP/Record Store day release here and there, he is back with the second High Flying Bird's album. It's a fair comment to say you know what you are going to get with a Noel album. Above all, a solid one. One that has a number of 'proper' tunes, with proper lyrics and a proper melody. That might sound basic, but that automatically puts him ahead of a large proportion of new artists who lack the skill to combine those elements. Wishy-washy indie rock is a thriving genre. Royal Blood's Mike Kerr can play the bass guitar damn well and damn hard, but
"Hey little monster, you know it's all ok
I'm gonna love you, no matter what you say" - Little Monster - Royal Blood

is a classic example of having one element (tune/melody) but not the other (lyrics). With Royal Blood's success, maybe you don't need to tie them all together anymore. Perhaps that's why mainstream rock music is in decline. Noel very rarely (if at all), fails to fuse his skills as a songwriter and a musician together so elegantly.

I like the production of everything he creates. His music feels loved, and it sounds uplifting and melancholy at the time with an effortless feel . 'The Dying of The Light', 'Riverman' & 'Ballad of The Might I' all reflect this and are highlights of mine.

Some might say (sorry, had to!) his music is a tad 'samey'. Chord heavy, rolling bass, verse-chorus-verse. 'We know we can't go back' might be guilty of this, yet it is listenable. My theory would be if you don't like that style, you probably don't like his music, nor Oasis'. An album being 'samey' is a dangerous criticism. True, some 'samey' albums can sound dreadful, but some can go on to be masterpieces. 'It This It' - The Strokes has a consistent sound through its entirety and is one of the best albums of the 21st century. The Beatles also receive the same treatment from some parts, yet their music is still played 50 years on. 

'Listenable' is a odd adjective to describe music on face value, but I think Noel personifies that trait. It's not setting the musical world alight stylistically and it has its moments of routineness but it's an enjoyable listen and one that his fans will immerse themselves in.

In a music world of blending genre's and stylistic innovation being necessary to get recognition, Noel has laughed in its face and done what he always has. 

7/10

Other album scores:

Ghost Culture - Ghost Culture: 7/10

Here is an acoustic version of  'The Dying of The Light' which is a song Noel has had knocking about for a few years before appearing on this album: