Neol Gallagher Album

He knows what he likes, and has turned his influences into an enjoyable solo debut.Songwriters who listen to too many records can struggle to come up with fresh ideas for their own. They're too cowed by their own taste, too aware of pantheons and precedence, and too easily influenced by old and dusty sonic blueprints. It's hard to say whether this is a greater problem for the artist or the listener. Certainly it would be easy to provide a list of reference points for Noel Gallagher's pugnacious solo debut, some of which come from his old band – two songs reference Wonderwall. But that's missing the point. Which is: Noel's got his confidence back. After years of watered-down Oasis albums, where anyone with a band membership and a silk scarf could throw an authentically scuffed tune into the pot, this is not a tentative recovery, nor does it bluster and huff. It rests on a bed of quiet authority, that sense of calm over turmoil, which comes from Noel's mournfully bullish voice.Follow @noelgallagher