This is the second full album release from Beady Eye, the band which could also be known as ‘Oasis without Noel’. B.E. reflects that sound just as you might expect; Liam Gallagher’s obsession for John Lennon-esque psychadelia pervades the album, unrestrained by the rockier influence of brother and frequent adversary Noel Gallagher. This isn’t to say that B.E. is without structure. In fact, one of the problems I had with this record was that, despite some epic moments of instrumentation that merge orchestral sounds with layered guitars and synth, almost every track adheres to a traditional verse/chorus structure that is uninspired and ultimately dull.
Album opener ‘Flick of the Finger’ is the perfect example of this. The intro, with its throbbing bass and steady driving beat, could a Bond film theme, evoking images of espionage and government secrecy that perfectly suit the ideas of Big Brother state control explored in the song: “They can/With a flick of the finger/Tear a million of you to pieces”. The concept is intriguing but the delivery is not; Gallagher’s trademark Manchester whine (which I mostly love) and the simple melody lack the dynamics that could have made this song spectacular.
‘Face the Crowd’ allows Gallagher’s voice to shine as he sings long, high notes over an energetic track. The instrumentation is fantastic, with a cool riff of bar chords embellished by melodic bass, handclaps, strings, and enthusiastic use of wah-wah pedal on lead guitar. The lead guitar on ‘Soon Come Tomorrow’ is also cool, distorted and played with what sounds like an e-bow, adding some extra heartache to a mostly acoustic song lamenting a destructive love affair.
‘Don’t Brother Me’ (yes, that’s how it’s spelled) is Liam’s obligatory dig at Noel. Contemplative and gentle, Liam sings of wanting to extend his hand to his brother and implores him to “give peace a chance”, which he follows in the next breath with a taunting “I’m always in the sun/Did your number one”. It’s snarky and arrogant and I loved every minute of it. B.E. is at its best on tracks like this one, when Beady Eye embody the confidence and swagger that made Oasis such a force to be reckoned with; overall, however, this album is samey and leaves no lasting impression after the last track finishes.
6/10
Reviewer: Frances Bulley