lundi 14 février 2011

REVIEW: Beady Eye- Different Gear, Still Speeding

Highly anticipated? sure. Beady Eye's first album will be released in a couple of weeks but already Different Gear, Still Speeding has leaked out on the internet and let's be honest, the word-of-mouth has been functioning pretty well since this morning. After some of the tunes appeared on Youtube these last few days but were taken out within an hour by the record company, the fans had tried to find a way to get hold of the Graal one way or the other. This was finally achieved thanks to social networks and private messages, tweets and texts. And the word keeps spreading.

A success? Definitely. It was surely not expected when the first single Bring The Light came out on the offcial website in November. As a reminder of the 1950s hitman Jerry Lee Lewis, the song was sheer disppointment for the fans who, however, decided to stay tuned and wait and see. Their patience was rewarded with Four Letter Word, second unofficial single to be available on www.beadyeyemusic.com - a genuine rock n'roll bomb directly aimed at his brother- The Roller, first official tune from the album , and a tour that will take Beady Eye all around Europe from Spring to the end of August. Clearly, they have decided to work the way a band in the 1960s would have done: release a song every couple of months, keep the fanbase excited with new tourdates once in a while. This added to Pretty Green was enough to bring back even the most doubtful fans in the Gallagherian fold.

The album is packed with 1960s rythms and sounds. As it, Millionnaire is surely the best song of Different Gear, Still Speeding – named as a two- finger raised at his brother?- Liam really manages to give life to this nearly-folk song that will remind us of The Beatles circa 1966. With lyrics like« desperate for inspiration », it's easy enough to make a connection- again- with the hated/loved brother. However, the song remains really light and summer-y. Probably no need to try and find an explanation; the song is efficient and should be one of these sing-alongs at festivals.
Beatles And Stones is surely more blusey and rock. In a way, it even sounds a bit like Stereophonics. But there are so many influences in that one that it is somehow difficult to identfy all of them. Liam Gallagher has decided to pay tribute to his two favourite bands and the music that made him become famous. He keeps repeating « I just need/ want to rock n' roll » and « I'm gonna stand the test of times like Beatles and Stones ».
Wind Up Dream begins almost like a country song but turns to something more 70s and 80s rock during the intro which lasts 30 seconds then the song sounds like Cold Turkey revisited by Lennon and the Stones in 1980. It can only be good, can't it?
For Anyone begins like a song any guitar learner would be able to write with the first three chords found on the net. Clearly, it does not even stand Outta Time but the simplicity of the tune reminds everyone of the Beatles at their early beginning and let's admit it's pretty charming. With lyrics like « I know it's gonna be alright, forever I'll be by your side » or « for anyone who loves, for anyone who feels, I'm never giving up until the dream is real ». It's never easy to say whether the lad has written songs designed to aim at his brother or the fans but it's sure that this last sentence will fondly resound in their ears.

Yes, Liam has never let his fans down, despite the heights, despite the fights, despite everything that was said in the papers. Beady Eye is gonna stand the test of time.

(review for the rest of the songs in the afternoon)