NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
Council Skies (Sour Mash)
If Noel Gallagher gets unfair criticism of his musical output at times, he’s tried to shed some common preconceptions by aiming forward and trying not to look back. I mean, the bloke has spent the last six years releasing psychedelic dance EPs – whose quality varies greatly, admittedly, but still – and a member of his band plays the scissors onstage.
It’s somewhat ironic then, that Council Skies casts a loving eye back to Noel’s beginnings in Burnage, Manchester, when world tours and millions of pounds seemed like an impossible fairytale. Fans should find it a much more familiar-sounding record than his last few EPs. His last six years have often suggested an artist struggling to distance themselves from what made them great instead of embracing who and what they are: Noel Gallagher is at his finest when his guitar sings and his words are meaningful, and those moments are in abundance throughout Council Skies.
Instead of continuing to shun all that makes him great, it looks as if he’s leaning right back into it again, for the better. If you are a long-time listener that has fallen off the High Flying Birds bandwagon over the last six years, now is the perfect time to jump straight back on.
words ELLIOT OAKLEY
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