Supersonic

Album review

On the surface, Oasis deserves a negative reaction. That's the typical reaction to a new Manchester quintet that treads too-familiar Happy Mondays/Primal Scream/the Stone Roses turf on the A-side and one of the B-sides ("Columbia"), even if it is on the great Creation label. Not because that Madchester sound died three years ago, but (pre-"Fools Gold") Stone Roses aside, it wasn't that great in the first place (unlike the now "dead" shoegaze scene that succeeded it). But a full two minutes into "Supersonic," this monstrous chorus comes out of nowhere to save the day ("my friend said to take you home..."), and there's another moment of satori when it appears again around the three-minute mark. Holy cow is that great, the sort of dramatic turnaround chord change and pile-driven, upper-octave vocal flourish that the young Guy Chadwick used to deliver now and again. By producing such furious highs at will, Oasis will instantly vault over the pack of also-rans being flaunted in the U.K. press. Besides, though "Take Me Away" is an unimpressive acoustic track, the live B-side "I Will Believe" reveals a more straightforward post punk style with more average but still good hooks suggesting a versatility Oasis could put to good use on an LP. Creation strikes again? Or just ten seconds of intense pleasure, as hollow and meaningless as a crack high?

© Jack Rabid /TiVo