In the fall of 2021, Oasis released several recorded versions of their legendary Knebworth shows from the mid 90s. The gigs have been regarded as era defining for the Britpop generation. Around the same time last year, singer Liam Gallagher announced his own set of solo shows at the same venue, both of which quickly sold out. Just a week before the Knebworth concerts were to take place in early June of this year, Liam dropped his third solo album, C’mon You Know.
Again, working with writer/producer Andrew Wyatt, Gallagher has released a varied album with a string section showing up on nearly half the tracks. The album starts with a children choir singing a few lines from “More Power” that recalls The Rolling Stones classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. The volume gets turned up on several tracks including the bluesy guitar riffing of “Diamond in the Dark” and the drums/handclaps of the title track.
The Dave Grohl co-write “Everything Electric” sees Gallagher sneer through the lines, “I don’t hate you/But I despise that feeling/There’s nothing left for me here”. “Better Days” explodes with it’s Chemical Brothers electronic beats, an update on the sound that his brother did so well with 25 years before. Gallagher gets the sole writing credit on “World’s In Need” that has a jamboree, country feel complete with harmonica.
The production from Wyatt and others, is top notch as little flourishes add texture to the tracks such as the dub reggae breakdown of “I’m Fee”. One of the finest songs on the album was co-written with Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend. The Beatlesque “Moscow Rules” is a phrase from the cold war and in the song, the strings hit a crescendo in the chorus as Gallagher sings “I think you’re never alone, even at home”. It’s a fine vocal performance in a hidden gem of a song. Looking at recent setlists, Liam Gallagher spotlights the hits of Oasis, but he should be making more room for the excellent songs of C’mon You Know.
8.5/10
The Light Appears 