ALBUM REVIEW: Liam Gallagher and John Squire album review

When 2 titans of Manchester’s music scene collide, you expect musical fireworks. Looking back on 3 of music’s big wig collaborations Blind Faith featuring Traffic’s Steve Winwood and Cream’s Eric Clapton lived up to the hype; New Order’s Bernard Sumner and The Smiths Johnny Marr brought together their love of electro pop and sunshine guitar chords to firm affect with Electronic; whilst Stone Rose frontman Ian Brown and Oasis songsmith Noel Gallagher short term collaboration is still spoken of in hallowed terms.

Just as the latter Northern Quarter duo might’ve been a surprise get together, Liam Gallagher and John Squire coming together in many respects might be even more of a surprise. Liam being a huge Roses fan, seen previously to laud the Roses praises at any given moment including at their reunion shows, it was the Roses who gave him the inspiration to form and front a band back in 1989, further stories of Liam trying to breach the Roses wilderness years via a tractor are well told and as you can probably imagine Liam didn’t need to hesitate when he got the call from Squire to sing on some of his tunes.

Squire on the other hand has always adopted a cool, sarcastic cheeky charm, rarely seen sharing a smile, his cool persona is someone who keeps his cards close to his chest, with many saying this get together with Liam has seen Squire open up like never before. Maybe it’s the duo’s bond has been making waves behind the scenes; Liam/Squire first crossed paths on the same stage at Knebworth with Oasis record breaking 1996 Knebworth residency, the pair would then be seen together in diverse settings along with a reunion at Liam’s solo shows at Knebworth in 2022, from here the pair seemingly locked horns with a batch of material mostly culled from the pen of Squire to form a solid 10 track album of blues, magoos and tunes released 1^st March 2024 via Warner Music.

The 2 singles are both solid tasters of the deft flavours on the album. Just Another Rainbow combines the playful nature of Spencer Davis Group Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush and the driving sonic rushes of The Beatles Rain, with playful lyrics executed as only Liam can with all the passion of Lydon whilst having the psych harmonies of Lennon; Mars To Liverpool is an altogether different beast, straight out the traps Squire’s guitar riff strikes you to the core, there are moments that might reflect a Happy Monday’s groove aka Gods Cop, and whilst it turns out some of the tracks were rehearsed by The Stone Roses, this is somewhat surprisingly that good it’s a shock it wasn’t released by the Madchester Lords.

Other highlights on the album include the straight up deep blues of I’m A Wheel, taking Liam to new musical depths snd is probably the stand out track on the album. Opener Raise Your Hands is probably as close to an Oasis sounding vibe you’re going to get, aka Dig Out Your Soul whilst holding a candle to Jumping Jack Flash. One Day At A Time opens with acoustic guitars whilst Liam barks out the line ‘you’ll regret some decisions until the day you die’; Love You Forever leaps and bounds with Jimi Hendrix solos and Clapton Cream prime era grooves.

I’m So Bored is an obvious nod toward Iggy and The Clash ‘bored in the morning, bored all day, I’m so bored all night long’; Make It Up As You Go Along has tinges of the joyous Second Coming would be single How Do You Sleep; concluding track Mother Natures Song is is once again laden with guitar riffs straight out the top draw, but despite the 6/12 string heavy album its nowhere near as convoluted as Second Coming was as Squire now duly admits, here we have the right balance of instrumentation throughout.

The duo have promised this first album to be the start of something more permanent, and on the basis of this first output of solid tracks and with live dates to follow, something special is bubbling to boiling point. Bravo.

THEIR SELF-TITLED ALBUM CAN BE PRE-ORDERED HERE

Follow Liam Gallagher:

Twitter | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | liamgallagher.com

Follow John Squire:

Website | Instagram