After brother Noel Gallagher left Oasis, that band became Beady Eye and released some very ordinary music. Liam Gallagher, sensing that would not be a good idea to continue with the band, left Beady Eye and embarked on a solo career, since which has been successful. This is his first release from said solo career. Let’s see if it sounds any good.

We start with Wall Of Glass with its strummed acoustic guitars and harmonica. Some thunderous beats then enter, and Liam sings with some very good lyrics at hand. This song is actually very awesome, and better than you’d expect. Some great background harmonies are here as well. It is relatively catchy too, a nice slice of postmodern pop/rock music that shines well above many contemporaries. The whole thing is superb. The descending guitar solo is different, and the whole thing is a great reminder of the glory days of Oasis. The outro is cool.

Next up is Bold with its double tracked acoustic guitars and deep melodies, including a keyboard string section on it. Liam sings from the heart more so than you would ever think, and this comes across as a deep and excellent piece. It is a reminder of past glories, and matches them in quality of the music here. If Noel Gallagher’s solo efforts were disappointing, Liam’s efforts are not. It sounds a lot like Oasis indeed. “Lay it on me,” sings Liam repeatedly. His time as a well recognized artist has arrived here, and he does superbly well. The outro has some great sound effects.

Greedy Soul is next, and is wonderfully and instantly catchy. It may actually be about Noel, you never know. It is a well constructed and well put together piece of Liam Gallagher solo goodness. If you liked later era Oasis, you will be at home musically here. It has a simple pop/rock melodic feel about it, and is better than most rock music being released today. Liam Gallagher may be the last pop/rock superstar today, and he seems to prove his worth here. The instrumentation fits the excellent lyrics here. Great piece of music.

Paper Crown comes next, and has a hint of melancholy about it, although it sounds a lot like The Rolling Stones here. Still, it is another strong effort from the singer/songwriter. It goes into a beat heavy and piano led piece of pop brilliance that has some well delivered lyrics. If Liam Gallagher keeps this up over the years to come, he has a bright future ahead of him. The mesh of acoustic and electric guitars, beats and piano make this a great and memorable listen. Good song.

Next is For What It’s Worth which is one of the most loved songs from this album. It is a moving and well written and delivered. When the chorus kicks in, you will likely be moved in happiness and ecstatic joy as Liam sings effortlessly here and does what he does best. This is a top song, and an excellent album so far. The song is very unforgettable, and a must listen for fans of Oasis. Terrific, upbeat and moving, overall a great song and very beautiful to hear. The string section in it is also very nice, a good addition to this song.

After that we have When I’m In Need which begins with some effects treated vocals and acoustic guitars. Before long, the main part of the song kicks in, and Liam sings about a lover who he has in mind. Indeed, Liam has had quite a lot of them over the years. This is a good listen, once again, and is refreshingly so. It sounds a lot better than anything else out there in the rock scene today, without exaggerating the fact that Rap and RnB are more popular today. The drumming towards the end is monumental, and sounding brilliant. The whole thing sounds like a great piece of music. Nice effort.

You Better Run is a direct threat to someone, real or imagined, that Liam has in mind. It’s a good and catchy listen, especially with the mixture of slide guitar licks in this song. Another strong track from the man who sang Wonderwall, this is another surprisingly rock solid effort from Liam. This album is a really good effort throughout, and this is a good example why so. Top track to hear through this album.

I Get By comes next, and is a loud and thunderous (Led Zeppelin style) track that sounds really good, even if it is a lesser track on this recording. A strange guitar break is here as well, and the lyrics here are well written. “Only love can break my heart…” sings Liam. There is a slow and melodic guitar solo here, and the whole song is wonderfully mixed. A quite catchy and good solo piece from Liam Gallagher, a good listen.

Next is Chinatown which is a more mellow and laidback sounding Ed Sheeran kind of piece (especially with the acoustic guitar playing) with Liam soulfully singing about the eastern world of China. It has Liam singing about the current world and the state it is in otherwise, which is a in disarray. The looped and effected vocal solo is different, and the whole thing is melancholy, but different. A nice change on this album to hear this track.

Following is Come Back To Me which is a good and punchy piece about Liam chasing a lover. It’s an interesting listen. It does deserve your attention, and is a very quality listen from Liam Gallagher. It has some strange guitars solos in it played in a very Jimi Hendrix sort of way. A great slice of pop/rock music, and at this point, we can declare Liam Gallagher has returned to form. Some low key piano is in the outro, really nice to hear.

Universal Gleam begins with a shuffle percussion feel, before the acoustic guitar playing kicks in. It’s a really emotionally delivered piece from the former Oasis frontman, and just sounds moving. Some organs and other good production touches are here, showcasing a good musical environment for Liam Gallagher to thrive in. “Give me something I can shout about, oh lord, don’t let me down,” sings Liam, as he soul searches throughout his music. Yes, these are his tunes, and he does really well here. A moving and good listen. Liam does superbly here.

I’ve All I Need has a rather odd intro to begin with, and comes across as a direct love song. It sounds a lot like Coldplay here, and there is no doubt that Liam was directly influenced by that UK pop/rock band on this album. Still, Liam Gallagher here was looking forward to the future, and he would never look back to Oasis from this moment on. The mixing of vocals, guitars and sound effects on this album are really down perfectly. There is a melancholy guitar solo to match here, and he sounds really touching here. This is one of his better strengths here as an artist, and he sings with a great sense of emotion. Nice song.

Next is Doesn’t Have To Be That Way which sounds a little odd, with Liam doing a rare falsetto here. It’s rather catchy, particularly in the chorus. There are many well mixed sound effects on Liam Gallagher’s vocals, loads of delay in particular. Although it seems to be more an approach of sounds and sound effects here, it is catchy enough to tick the right boxes. Even as a lesser track on this album it does very well. A mixture of guitar and keyboard solo is in the middle here. A strange guitar riff then kicks the chorus back into action. This is a top listen, and Liam is on fire here.

Following is All My People / All Mankind which is an acoustic driven ballad like piece that has Liam Gallagher clearly stating that it is his time. Which it is. It is a mixture of good lyricism and beautiful melody here than gets this song going. A good and strong listen, this album never gets dull. Some good orchestral arrangements are here, and this song sounds very good. A nice array of production, with some effects treated guitars and strings are done wonderfully here.

I Never Wanna Be Like You is a statement of being oneself. Yes, it may refer to Supersonic loosely but is a great solo piece to listen to as we draw to a close of this album. A refreshing and well thought out listen from Liam Gallagher himself, it is a statement of intent. The guitars and backing harmonies in the middle are really good to hear. It does get rather repetitive towards the end, but still, a good piece of music. We finish nicely here, a very good album indeed.

This is a very good album and listening experience in general. Liam Gallagher comes of age here, showing that he was ready and willing to move on from Oasis with some good solo material of his own. The wider music world agreed, and his solo career has been largely successful. If you liked Oasis and want more, start here. You will not be disappointed.

Good quality tunes.

8/10