Dig Out Your Soul

Continuing a career revitalization that began in earnest on the previous DON'T BELIEVE THE TRUTH, 2008's DIG OUT YOUR SOUL is precision-crafted to approach the heights of prime Oasis, with the Gallagher brothers and company soaring above most of their own turn-of-the-century work. "Bag It Up" announces the SOUL's arrival with a scrappy sense of majesty, while "Waiting for the Rapture" (sung by guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher) stomps like a no-nonsense "I Am the Walrus." Always an ensemble ready to blatantly reference the Beatles, Oasis sticks with Fab Four nods on "The Shock of the Lightning," where frontman Liam Gallagher evokes a "magical mystery" amidst a flurry of driving guitar lines. In fact, down to its neo-psychedelic collage cover, SOUL echoes mid-period Beatles, in intent if not studio experimentation, without sounding overly beholden to the legendary band. Arguably Oasis' heaviest and most immediate record, DIG OUT YOUR SOUL is easily one of the group's strongest albums, and proves that it remains in fighting form.