More about: OasisLiam Gallagher
Utilising a more tender side of his inimitable vocal pipes
Liam Gallagher has just unveiled a new song named 'Chinatown' and it's a direct contrast in mood to the intensity of 'Wall Of Glass'.
The track is a beautiful, layered affair recalling 60s psych classics but utilising modern production to make the composition feel like a never ending horizon as there's so much depth.
Gentle arpeggio finger-picking, swirling atmospherics, synth stabs, a deep rumble of bass combine as it gathers in intensity and builds towards a chorus that doesn't overly soar and Gallagher's vocals remain focusing on the power of the imagery.
Having the first two tracks lifted from the forthcoming debut solo album being quite different has amped up our excitement for the album. It hints at what a LP album it could be. It shows how ambitions Gallagher has been in aiming to create his definitive work and best since early Oasis.
Part of the reason this has quite a different feel is the record features two different producers. Greg Kurstin performed all of the instruments on the four songs that he produced (‘Wall Of Glass’, ‘Paper Crown’, ‘Come Back To Me’ and the psychedelic whoosh of ‘It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way’). The remainder of the album, including 'Chinatown', was done by Dan Grech-Marguerat in Snap! Studios in London.
“I didn’t want to be reinventing anything or going off on a space jazz odyssey,” says Liam. “It’s the Lennon ‘Cold Turkey’ vibe, The Stones, the classics. But done my way, now.”
Elsewhere, Liam Gallagher played to the biggest Other Stage crowd of the weekend in Glastonbury and should have been on the Pyramid.
The crowd were ecstatic as the band started out with some Oasis hits before playing lots of this new album and ending with an accapella version of 'Don't Look Back In Anger' which he sang for the first time in his career.
Gallagher paid an emotional tribute to victims of the Manchester bombing, Borough Market attack and victims of the Grenfell tower fire before singing this heartfelt words.
Liam Glalagher's first ever solo show with this new band happened in the initimate Manchester Ritz and he paid a heart-warming tribute to the lives lost at the Ariana Grande concert.
Subsequent shows around the UK have been warmly received on the whole even if our reviewer Steven Kline didn't warm to the Brixton gig.
The tracklisting for ‘As You Were’ is:
1. ‘Wall Of Glass’
2. ‘Bold’
3. ‘Greedy Soul’
4. ‘Paper Crown’
5. ‘For What It’s Worth’
6. ‘When I’m In Need’
7. ‘You Better Run’
8. ‘I Get By’
9. ‘Chinatown’
10. ‘Come Back To Me’
11. ‘Universal Gleam’
12. ‘I've All I Need’ Bonus tracks on deluxe editions of the album
13. ‘Doesn’t Have To Be That Way’
14. ‘All My People / All Mankind’
15. ‘I Never Wanna Be Like You’
As You Were is now available to pre-order from here with ‘Wall Of Glass’ and ‘Chinatown’ provided as an instant downloa
More about: OasisLiam Gallagher
Photo: Press
