Liam Gallagher and John Squire join forces on a self-titled album that builds on the relationship, bond and mutual appreciation that has been seen at both the Oasis ‘96 and Liam solo 2022 Knebworth shows…
A jangly Byrds-style intro signals the start of ‘Raise Your Hands’, an album opener that reminded us of John’s ‘other’ band The Seahorses’ ‘Happiness is Egg Shaped’. It’s unashamedly anthemic in the chorus as Liam demands ‘Raise your hands, I can see you’ and then cries out ‘We’re aliiive’ over piano-led, foot-stomping melodies. There’s a touch of funk soul in ‘Mars to Liverpool’ , which starts with an unusual and unexpected apology from Liam (proof if needed that John wrote the lyrics…) before veering into more of a singalong place, complete with trademark pronunciations: ‘Can anybody get me from Mars to Liverpoooool?’
With these two musicians, you can’t escape the inevitable influence of The Beatles but ‘One Day at a Time’ owes a debt to George Harrison’s melancholic solo work – ‘Everybody needs someone to love. A little romance, the clouds sail by. You’ll regret some decisions until the day you die’ – albeit with a spiky edge: ‘You should have fucked me when you had the chance’. Fuzzed up, bluesy and deliberately paced, complete with Star Wars references, ‘I’m a Wheel’ heads into new directions with a gospel-tinged ending, while lead single ‘Just Another Rainbow’ found both Liam and John playing to their strengths and giving fans exactly what they craved from this collaboration.
‘Love You Forever’ sounds like it could have featured on The Stone Roses’ ‘Second Coming’ with its moodier sound and witty lyrics about two lovers having fun together: ‘Growing old disgracefully, I’ve got time’, while ‘Make It Up As You Go Along’ could be a distant cousin of the ‘Definitely Maybe’ closer ‘Married with Children’ with its biting lyrics: ‘Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and fuck you, too’; ‘It’s a random universe. It’s getting better and worse’.
‘You’re Not the Only One’ is another love song – there’s a lot of romance running through this record (see the lyrics ‘Something in the way she smiles. I can’t explain. No place is rather be’) – that is powered by clattering drums, keys and Stones-inspired riffs before ‘I’m So Bored’ moves more into ‘Britpop’ territory with Liam having fun with the observations: ‘I’m so bored with this programme, I’m so bored with this song, bored in the morning, bored in the day. I’m so bored all night long’; ‘Bored with your jacket, bored with your boots, I’m so bored when you’re cute’ Although it’s bouncy, we can also hear some elements of US college rock – GBV, Built to Spill – in there before its psych-tinged ending.
The closing ‘Mother Nature’s Song’ is packed with references to the natural Earth and its beauty, along with instructions to finish your coffee and tea: ‘Listen to Mother Nature’s Song, the melodies are beautiful, the call sublime’. It’s an anthemic ballad that wraps everything up in sweet style.
Focusing on what they do best, this is an album for anyone who loves guitar music and each member’s previous bands. The only question is – why did it take them so long to record together?
