He’s a guitar hero, is our Noel Gallagher. It’s almost impossible to picture him without that iconic red Epiphone guitar either strapped to his chest, or leaning artfully somewhere nearby, and his chord progressions inspired a whole generation (maybe even two) to pick up a six-string and craft some festival-baiting bangers. His new single, though, is an about-face.
‘Black Star Dancing’ owes far more to the dancefloor than it does to the guitar-y Gallagher world of old. A house-tinged groover, it’s ‘Noel Does Ibiza’. Shimmering synths glide back and forth atop a crisp, disco-lite, four-to-the-floor beat. After the psychedelic madness of 2017’s ‘Who Built The Moon?’, it seems he’s moved onto pinger music. “Nature is dancing, and it makes me sweat,” he croons at one point. Nope, us neither.
It’s disco dad stuff, in the same ilk as Hot Chip and their peers – aka dance music that appeals to the 6 Music crowd. Even Noel’s statement about the track manages to channel the vibe of a half-cut father figure excitedly texting his children: “It manages to combine the influences of David Bowie, INXS, U2, Queen, Indeep AND ZZ Top FFS! … I might have been watching too much Top Of The Pops recently … anyway, it’s ‘dope’ … not my words, but the words of Nile Rodgers who literally danced in the studio when he heard it!” Alright, namedropper.
Jokes aside, though, it’s impressive to see Noel still willing to push the boat out so far into his career. ‘Who Built The Moon?’ showed off his experimental side, sure, but it was still written in the guitar-bass-drums template that’s been Noel’s bread and butter for decades. Now, he’s chucked that red Epi out the window, wolfed down some Red Bull and gone full bonkers.
Where Liam’s gone straight down the bucket hats and Dark Fruits route, Noel’s shown time and time again that he’s ready to fuck with the rulebook. Which you prefer is up to you, but – if we can’t have that Oasis reunion any time soon – it’s hard to argue with either’s dedication. And what does the younger Gallagher think of his big bro’s return?
FUCK OFF
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) May 2, 2019
Oh. Never mind then.