Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

Dig Out Your Soul is Oasis’ 8th studio album, released in 2008. It was their last release as Oasis before the breakup in 2009. It includes songs by all four members of the band - Gem Archer, guitar, Andy Bell, bass, Liam Gallagher, vocals, and of course, Noel Gallagher.

It opens up with “Bag It Up”, a catchy song with a stomping beat. It sounds very much like Oasis; there aren’t many surprises. Liam’s vocals are crisper than they were on the last few albums, and the guitar riff is great. It’s a great choice for an opening track.

“Bag It Up” leads fluidly into “The Turning”, a quieter song. The chorus, however, can catch you off guard - it’s loud and rocking. The outro is acoustic and rather pretty. This song isn’t your typical Oasis tune, but it’s great regardless.

The next song, “Waiting for the Rapture”, isn’t exactly the best. The lyrics aren’t Noel’s insightful norm, and the chorus isn’t catchy whatsoever. It’s decent, but it’s not something you’ll put on repeat for days on end. The riff is good, though, and you may find yourself singing this song in your head after you hear it. Overall, it’s could be called the worst or the best song on the album, depending on who you ask.

“The Shock Of The Lightning” is a brilliant song, with driving guitars and piano. It’s noisy and reminiscent of Be Here Now type songs. The simple yet awe-inspiring lyrics are sing-along worthy, and the “come in, come out”s will have you lip syncing as you listen. Interesting fact: the thunderous drum solo was provided by Andy Bell.

From the pounding beat of the last track, we move on to a calm, haunting song by Liam. “I’m Outta Time” demonstrates his blossoming songwriting ability wonderfully. These are arguably his best vocals on the album. It’s a nice change of pace from the rock tracks above. Some argue that it was written for his older brother Noel: “If I’m to fall/would you be there to applaud?/Or would you hide behind them all?” Either way, the questions he asks will remain in your mind long after the song ends.

“[Get Off Your] High Horse Lady” has a rousing stomp-and-clap backbeat, Noel’s voice sounding unique as he sings this repetitive-at-times tune. It’s not extremely noteworthy, but it’s good enough to listen to multiple times.

“Falling Down”, the album’s trademark single, isn’t the best demonstration of this album’s potential. The verses are gentle and soft, the chorus raucous and strong. Noel’s voice sounds great, and it’s something you may find yourself searching for on your iPod time and again.

“To Be Where There’s Life” is Gem Archer’s only track off of the album, and it’s a beauty. It features psychedelic instruments and a great beat. The lyrics are interesting, and Liam does them justice. It’s one of the songs that will grow on you if you don’t like it at first, and it’s a lovely change from traditional Oasis tracks. This song is really where the album differentiates itself from previous releases.

“Ain’t Got Nothin’” is another Liam tune, and it’s oddly similar to “The Meaning of Soul” - short, to the point, and repetitive. It’s one track that may make you fast-forward before it’s done, but if you choose to do so, you will be rewarded.

“The Nature Of Reality” is Andy’s song. The lyrics are deep and provocative, the riff is incredible, the beat is perfect, and it’s just a piece of brilliance. You may find yourself not taking in the lyrics the first time around - make sure you do the second time, because they’re beautiful. “The nature of reality/is pure subjective fantasy/space and time and/here and now/are only in your mind.” Andy didn’t play any instrument on the song - he was making sure everything came out the way he wanted it.

“Soldier On” is Liam’s way to close out the album, and it’s a stunner. The bass hits you hard at the beginning, and the steady beat pulls you into the verses. The repetition of “soldier on” may get to you, sort of like “It’s Getting Better (Man!!)”, but it’s so striking you’ll listen to it over and over.

Dig Out Your Soul is definitely worth picking up at your favorite music store. It’s a change from the norm for them, but it’s not disappointing. It shows how diverse they are and how many great lyrical minds are in the band. If you’ve never listened to Oasis before, though, you may want to start off with Definitely Maybe and move on to DOYS. However, this is one of the best releases from Oasis and worthy of many times listening to it.