Noel Gallagher – ‘AKA-What a Life’

Noel Gallagher releases his second single ‘AKA-What a Life’ from the hotly anticipated solo effort ‘High Flying Birds’. And what a single it is.

Sure Beady Eye was fine, in fact many were surprised that Liam Gallagher was first off the mark and with a half decent effort, but every Oasis fan, nay music fan has been waiting with baited breath for what Noel, author of the soundtrack to a generation, might do when free from the shackles and expectations of Oasis.

A heart pounding, locomotive piano groove guides us through, bright but with a rhythmical intent, and similar to ‘One to Another’ by the Charlatans. The track is instant and once aboard sweeps you along as it builds to a mesmeric 90’s esque chorus, the sort of sing-a-long sound of our youth, as Noel proclaims, his anthemic statement ‘ What a Life.’

It’s striking at first and a far cry from his recent material but ‘What a Life’ is a triumph, the sound of the man hitting his stride, finally the ‘talented’ of the brothers Gallagher remind us just what we have been missing.

The 10-track LP, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, will be released on 17th October 2011 on his own label, Sour Mash Records.

4 stars out of 5.

By James Stapleton
Twitter.com/realJstapleton