Oasis fans, listen up: Oasis is back. Kind of.
As witnessed time and time again, holding some reincarnation of a band together after the death or resignation of a band member is usually easier said than done.
Beady Eye, which three of the four core members of highly acclaimed English rock group Oasis formed shortly after the band's 2009 break−up, is desperately trying to pull off a new stage in the musicians' musical careers. Drawing on alternative rock, '60s psychedelia and rockabilly, Beady Eye this year finally released its first album, "Different Gear, Still Speeding."
Whether the band has succeeded musically is up for debate. Oasis' influence is subtler than one might expect but still crops up frequently, especially on the guitar parts of "Four Letter Word," "The Roller" and "For Anyone." Beady Eye instead draws more heavily on rock legends like The Beatles, David Bowie and Pink Floyd to create a sound that has been rehashed for decades.
The themes and lyrics of many of the songs border on generic, and Beady Eye seems hesitant to break away from formulaic rock music about life as hard−partying rock stars. In the wake of Oasis, the band seems to have lost much of its sincerity and sense of direction.
Indeed, most of the weaknesses of the album, and the band itself, can be surmised during the 12−minute "RAK Them Out" documentary, which is found on the second disc of the album. It is strange enough to have an interview−based documentary on any band's first album, and this one does little to improve the caliber of the album except make the second disc seem like a nod to "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984).
Beady Eye's problems stem from their desire to "do what Oasis didn't finish off," as they express during the documentary. This plan to continue the work of the old band clashes with other messages from the album, as well as other parts of "RAK Them Out" itself, in which Beady Eyes repeatedly tries to portray itself as an up−and−coming band struggling to make a name for itself in the music industry. In the same track, the band seems simultaneously pleasantly surprised to have been able to find gigs and start their music career and proud of its origins in one of the most successful bands of the '90s.
Despite some major weaknesses, "Different Gear, Still Speeding" does have moments of catchiness.
The two songs released early as promotional singles especially stand out. The December 2010 single "Four Letter Word" draws heavily on the band's grungy Oasis roots, maintaining a catchy, hard rock feel.
The most notable track on the album is probably "Bring the Light," which was released as the first single last November. The song's throbbing bass line, paired with hints of rockabilly and gospel, makes for a track that would certainly never have been released while the band was still Oasis. Lead singer Liam Gallagher manages to sound impressively less nasal than he did on many Oasis tracks, and he rips through the song with an Elvis−like vitality found nowhere else on the album.
Despite Beady Eye's hints at a new, catchy sound on tracks like "Bring the Light," the band reverts back to a mix of '60s rock jams and songs that sound like Oasis B−sides. If "Different Gear, Still Speeding" had been produced by a different band that was actually new, it is extremely unlikely that it already would have garnered the band performances at upcoming large−scale concerts such as the Isle of Wight Festival, the Bilbao Live Festival and Rock Werchter.
Beady Eye, and its first album, will most likely be commercially successful for at least a short period of time, but this success hinges more on Oasis fans' curiosity than on actual musical quality.
