If
Definitely Maybe
was an unintentional concept album about wanting to be a
rock & roll
star,
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
is what happens after the dreams come true.
Oasis
turns in a relatively introspective second record, filled with big, gorgeous
ballads
instead of ripping
rockers
. Unlike
, the production on
Morning Glory
is varied enough to handle the range in emotions; instead of drowning everything with amplifiers turned up to 12, there are strings, keyboards, and harmonicas. This expanded production helps give
Noel Gallagher
's sweeping melodies an emotional resonance that he occasionally can't convey lyrically. However, that is far from a fatal flaw;
Gallagher
's lyrics work best in fragments, where the images catch in your mind and grow, thanks to the music.
may be guilty of some borrowing, or even plagiarism, but he uses the familiar riffs as building blocks. This is where his genius lies: He's a thief and doesn't have many original thoughts, but as a
pop/rock
melodicist he's pretty much without peer. Likewise, as musicians,
are hardly innovators, yet they have a majestic grandeur in their sound that makes
like
"Wonderwall"
or
"Some Might Say"
positively transcendent.
Alan White
does add authority to the rhythm section, but the most noticeable change is in
Liam Gallagher
. His voice sneered throughout
, but on
his singing has become more textured and skillful. He gives the lyric in the raging title track a hint of regret, is sympathetic on
"Wonderwall,"
defiant on
"Some Might Say,"
and humorous on
"She's Electric,"
a bawdy rewrite of
"Digsy's Diner."
It might not have the immediate impact of
, but
is just as exciting and compulsively listenable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine