When Oasis split in 2009 due to well-publicised creative differences between Noel and Liam Gallagher, fans around the world were devastated and shocked. Shortly after Noel quit, he soon began forming his own  band and in 2010 he created Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.He immediately began working on his debut solo album. Fast-forward a year and the self-titled album ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ is released to great critical acclaim with critics such as the BBC praising Noel for carrying on and developing his proven formula of songwriting he adopted in Oasis.

The album starts with ‘Everybody’s On the Run’ which really shows that Noel has moved on from Oasis and developed his own sound. The track starts with talking and then bursts into a progressive sound of drums and violins that is then joined by Gallagher’s vocals and guitar. The song talks about falling in and out of love with someone and how that feeling is always the same “Can’t fight this feeling/morning rain is all the same/you know, you know” are lyrics that show this. The remaining songs from the album continue this trend. Other songs from the album that you should definitely look out for include ‘If I Had a Gun’ that begins with an acoustic guitar riff from Gallagher who then continues to add vocals. The song talks about love and what you’d do to make somebody yours “If I had a gun I’d shoot a hole into the sun / and love would burn this city down for you” really capture this.

More songs that stand out include ‘AKA… What a Life’ with it’s atmospheric start and catchy drum beat. The song also has clever lyrics that stick with the listener and is probably one of the most memorable tracks from the album. ‘AKA… What a Life’ talks about how people say what life is like but you’ve got to go out and find out for yourself ‘Some say you might find your hero / some say you might lose your mind’ help illustrate this. ‘Stop the Clocks’ is another great song from the album that was originally recorded for the Oasis album ‘Don’t Believe the Truth’. The track starts with acoustic guitar playing and vocals from Gallagher that are accompanied with captivating piano play. The song talks about stopping the clocks of your life and starting a new one for somebody you love “Stop the clocks and turn your world around/let your love lay me down”.

I hadn’t really paid much attention to Oasis before this album was released, but love it for its creativity and unique sound. If you are listening to this album either as a fan of Oasis or you are listening to Noel Gallagher’s music for the first time, I promise that you’ll be sucked in with its fresh sound and lyrics. Go out and listen to this album today because if you love music as much as I do, you’ll love it too.