Nature Is Dancing, But We Ain't Done Yet...

Yes, I know, I know, I haven't written in awhile! In that time Mr. Noel G has released two EP's, and Liam has released his follow up to his debut "As You Were" with "Why Me? Why Not?". You can read about my favorite single ( and possibly my favorite song) "Once" in my last post. Holy shit it has definitely been awhile! I am excited to share my thoughts and opinions in the future on both Gallagher brothers work, but for this post we are going to back track a bit and go back to Noel's first EP, "Black Star Dancing".

Black Star Dancing was released on June 14th, 2019. The title track and single "Black Star Dancing" was released on May 9th, three days before Bono's birthday! Happy birthday Bono haha. Along with Black Star Dancing, the EP contains the track "Rattling Rose", "Sail On" and two other mixes of Black Star Dancing, the 12" Mix and The Reflex Revision. Keep in mind folks this is an EP, which means were looking at anywhere between four to eight tracks, eight being the maximum I'd guess. Before I get into the actual EP and tracks, I just want to say that I really like Noel's idea of releasing multiple EP's one right after another. It is nice because I don't have to wait for years or more for new music. I'm looking at you U2! As much as I wish they were full length LP's, I am ok with the bite-sized tunes that are in an EP. They make for a quick listen, and leave you with wanting more. After listening to Black Star Dancing through, I definitely want more!

I loved Black Star Dancing! The song that is! Upon my initial listen, my first reaction was, holy shit, Noel has done it again! He went out there on his album "Who Built The Moon?" and he is out there again! What caught me most was the songs intro, starting off with a smooth, groovy bass riff. That right there sets the tone for what kind of song this is. A groovy song. That is what Black Star Dancing is to me. A very groovy song. It really does make me want to dance. As soon as Noel takes the song into the first chorus with the lyrics " And we can ride on, we can ride all night" I Immediately think of an INXS and Michael Hutchence influence. Those lyrics and that ripping guitar make me think of a song off their "Kick" album. I can't quite place the song at the moment, but if you hear this song and have listened to Kick in full,you'll know what I mean. There is also an obvious nod to David Bowie here given the songs title including the name of Bowie's last album before his death "Black Star". The song is super catchy too, with the chorus lingering in your head long after you've finished it. Nature is dancing, and we ain't done yet! I absolutely love this song because it kind of surprised me, as well as others. It puts me in the mood to take the car and drive around at night and hit the town!

Next up is "Rattling Rose". At first listen, I really didn't care for this song. It didn't do what Black Star Dancing did for me. I think it's slightly weaker than Black Star Dancing. After listening to it a few times over it started to grow on me. Again, Noel uses the relatively same formula for this song. Instead of a slow bass riff, this one is much faster, making the tune follow the bass at a faster tempo. It is actually a nice welcomed change. This track also has the addition of piano, and if my ears can hear properly a brass section? Don't quote me on that though. Listen to the song and make your own judgement. Either way it fits.

Lastly is "Sail On". Oh baby. This is the Noel we all know and love. The acoustic/ballad Noel. I adore this song. God bless Noel and his song writing genius. I wanted to cry when I first heard Sail On. I was so happy that there was an acoustic song on this EP. It took me back to Noel's earlier days, before he started his transition into this space rock stuff. I'm not saying the new sound is bad, I just have a special place in my heart for these songs. What caught me first was the sound of rain at the beginning, and how the acoustic riff slowly fades in. It's such a beautiful build-up, and the sound of the drum and pounding bass line gives you the feeling that you're sitting on a boat all alone rocking back and forth, back and forth. Then the lyrics. Noel is one of the best of his generation. Maybe even the best. The whole song is a lyrical masterpiece, setting a melancholic tone. I urge you to go watch the lyric video for this song. My absolute favorite line from this song is, "While you're sick and tired and feeling sorry for yourself, life will chew you up and spit you out and put you on the shelf." Read that again, and take what you can from that. I'm not going to bore you and get all philosophical, I'll let the song do the talking! Again, just go listen to it!

The last two songs are simply remixes of the song Black Star Dancing. I really don't have much to say about them. I like Black Star Dancing for the song that it is, and these remixes are a welcomed change, pushing the envelope of the song further and exploring it a bit more!

All in all, I loved Black Star Dancing. It scratched me where I itched. Noel really is a song writing genius, and this EP is just more proof that this man can do anything with a new sound and produce a solid track. I can't wait for what is next from Noel because nature is dancing, and he's not done yet.

4*/5

Photo Credit: Noel Gallagher