Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Chasing Yesterday
(Sour Mash Records Ltd.)

Depending on how seriously you take Noel Gallagher’s interviews, the former Oasis mastermind is one of the great heroes or villains of the music scene. The superior Gallagher has always been opinionated, but he has the writing chops to back it up. Chasing Yesterday adds another notch to the man’s overburdened belt as he handles production credits alone.

For some, that freedom could have easily turned indulgent, but Gallagher delivers ten solid tracks with a few surprises. The “na na na na na na” refrain on “The Dying of the Light” feels like an odd touch that fits in more with Blur’s Britpop phase than guitar rock, but somehow it works here. “The Mexican” kicks in with enough cowbell to make you check that you’re still listening to the same album, but it’s a fun tune that channels some of the dance influence of the High Flying Birds’ first album.

Of course, there’s a preoccupation with romance in these lyrics, but nothing feels cliche. “You Know We Can’t Go Back” captures the bittersweet sense of a life spent on the road and the passage of time. “While the Song Remains the Same” is a bold song filled with sweet longing for a dance “beneath the fireflies.” Lyrically, “The Right Stuff” is quite simple, focused mainly on the line “You and I, got the right stuff.” However, the song is brought to life by retro horns and synth that make way for a two-minute guitar solo.

Chasing Yesterday may not contain the greatest songs that Noel Gallagher has ever written, but that doesn’t matter. He’s proven that he can still challenge himself while remaining true to his roots.