Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Council Skies

by Nick Dent-Robinson

published: 3 / 7 / 2023

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Council Skies

Label: Sour Mash Records
Format: CD

Competent first album in six years from Noel Gallagher and his revolving project The High Flying Birds

Review

There has been much talk this year of a big Britpop revival - with Pulp adding more dates to their sell-out summer tour and Blur gearing up for two huge Wembley Stadium concerts. But the band that many believe was key to 'Cool Britannia”, Oasis, have so far avoided this 1990s nostalgia frenzy. And the release of Noel Gallagher's first solo album for six years probably suggests things are going to stay that way - at least for the moment. Noel Gallagher's band, the High-Flying Birds is essentially an open-ended parade of impressive guests - including ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr - and they take Noel's new album, 'Council Skies' away from Britpop, instead reconnecting him with his Mancunian roots. He sings about old haunts that have become the preserve of property developers and, on the title track, he takes a romantic view of his home city. There is some grandeur here, too (which may surprise hard-core Oasis fans) with arranger Rosie Danvers adding elegant strings. 'Dead To The World' contains a melodica solo whilst “Pretty Boy” is very close to The Cure's 1980 single “A Forest” with that band's lead singer, guitarist and main song-writer, Robert Smith obligingly supplying a remix for this track on Noel's new album. 1990s afficionados will like “There She Blows!” - a homage to Liverpool's The La's group - as well as the nicely punchy “We're Gonna Get There In The End”. This is a competent, well-produced album - even if it isn't quite Oasis! Noel Gallagher will be touring the UK from 21 July – starting at PennFest in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Details at www.noelgallagher.com

Track Listing:-

1 I'm Not Giving Up Tonight
2 Pretty Boy
3 Dead To The World
4 Open The Door, See What You Find
5 Trying To Find A World That's Been And Gone Pt 1
6 Easy Now
7 Council Skies
8 There She Blows
9 Love Is A Rich Man
10 Think Of A Number
11 Don't Stop...
12 We're Gonna Get There In The End
13 Mind Games
14 Pretty Boy (Instrumental)
15 Dead To The World (Instrumental)
16 Council Skies (Instrumental)
17 Think Of A Number (Instrumental)
18 I'm Not Giving Up Tonight (David Holmes Remix)
19 Think Of A Number (Pet Shop Boys Magic Eye 12" Remix)
20 Pretty Boy (Robert Smith Remix)
21 Council Skies (The Reflex Revision)
22 Flying On The Ground (Radio 2 Session, 08.09.21)
23 You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (Radio 2 Session, 08.09.21)
24 Live Forever (Radio 2 Session, 08.09.21)