Big BrotherNoel has always ferociously defended Oasis' occasional sidesteps into more experimental territory, and will probably go to his grave believing Standing On the Shoulders of Giants is one of the best things the band has ever done. And while that mindset is objectively delusional, he might be onto something when he talks about his fondness for making "absolutely f*****g colossal" albums. It all depends on how they utilize the "multiple orchestras" and other bombastic elements. And on Dig Out Your Soul, they use them very effectively. Recorded at the legendary Abbey Road studios (because why not embrace the constant accusations of Beatles-aping), Oasis crafts another solid collection of pop-rock anthems, this time offering some darker edges than those released in their heyday, but those sinister twinkles make for a fascinating listen. And, for bonus points, the songwriting duties were a bit more split this time around, with everyone besides drummer Zak Starkey getting a song onto the record. The best of the bunch are still Noel tracks, though, with the gritty sexiness of "Waiting For the Rapture" and the Cream-like scorcher "The Turning" firmly taking the reigns.
