For those of you who thought Oasis had ceased to exist since the Gallagher brothers’ scuffles during the glory days of their first two albums, you may be surprised to hear that Oasis is still alive, albeit much older, and somehow kicking. On October 6, the British band released Dig Out Your Soul, their seventh (yes, seventh) studio album.

Though the boys haven’t really advanced their sound much in the thirteen years since the release of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, Oasis fans likely won’t be disappointed by the new album which, with a few exceptions, sticks shamelessly to the formula the boys have been using for years: rock music based on heavy Beatles influences. The band is quite blunt in referencing their musical inspiration throughout this record. The intro to “Dear Prudence” acts as the coda to track two, “The Turning,” while the chorus of the album’s first single, “The Shock of the Lightning,” includes the line “Love is a litany / A magical mystery.” “I’m Outta Time” even samples a John Lennon interview at its end.

Oasis does seem to perceive a change in their style on the new album, though. During an interview, guitarist and vocalist Noel Gallagher noted, “It’s not Britpop… some of it sounds a bit glam.” This supposed change does come through a bit in songs like “(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady” and “Ain’t Got Nothin’” as the band experiments a little with some rougher sounds. They also seem to focus more on groove and atmosphere on this record than they have on other post-Morning Glory albums, prompting Gallagher to say that it was unlikely for anything past the first single to get any radio play. The only other song I can imagine receiving airplay is “Falling Down,” a track that seems to emulate Guster’s “Satellite” just a little too well.

All in all, the album is nothing exceptional, but it can be an enjoyable listen for fans wishing for more of the same from Britain’s favorite rock band (a few years back, their homeland voted their first two albums as first and second in the list of best British albums of the past fifty years…do the math and remember when the Beatles were around).

image from amazon.com