C’mon You Know by Liam Gallagher album review by Robert Duguay for Northern Transmissions

Warner Records

8

C’mon You Know

Liam Gallagher

Words by Robert Duguay

Liam Gallagher has been experiencing quite a resurgence ever since he went solo with the release of his debut album As You Were in 2017. There’s no denying the excellence he pulled off as the frontman for Oasis and the music he did with Beady Eye afterwards was pretty substantial. With that being said, the material he’s been releasing under his own name is a bit different with a unique grit and swagger to the songs.

Some of them are absolute bangers, such as “Wall Of Glass” from his debut and “Shockwave” from his 2019 sophomore LP Why Me? Why Not. I obviously was looking forward to seeing what he would put out next, so enter his third full-length C’mon You Know that’s coming out on May 27 via Warner Records.

There’s still that guitar-heavy aesthetic that’s present in his prior solo material and you better believe that trademark charisma is being maintained. Gallagher presents himself as the quintessential frontman, in a lot of ways he legitimately is, with his music stating his case. Some of the tracks have choral and gospel elements to them while others bring the riffs and there’s even a ballad included as well. It seems like there’s a conscious effort being made to change up the structure and vibe as each song is played. It’s a prime display of fearless artistic vision and some thinking outside the box but not straying too far away.

Co-written with the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, who also played drums, “Everything’s Electric” falls in line with the previously mentioned singles from the past in terms of being fantastic. I enjoy how the chorus comes in during the breakdown and then it revs back up with the guitars, bass and drums. “Don’t Go Halfway” has that reverb reminiscent of the material in Oasis’ “Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants'', which is great because I think that album is vastly underrated. The ballad that’s included is “Too Good For Giving Up” and it’s a triumphant one that’s driven by the piano keys. Other highlights of the album include “Diamond In The Dark”, “I’m Free”, “Better Days” and “Oh Sweet Children”.

If you’re a fan of Oasis, then chances are you’re going to love Gallagher’s new album. If you appreciate the craft of songwriting and the variety it can bring, you’re probably going to appreciate this album as well. It’s not a straight ahead rock record but it also not a glossy pop one either, it touches upon numerous styles and approaches them in its own way. That’s what I enjoy the most about C’mon You Know. The individuality of it can be sensed through the songs and I really like when that happens.