For almost the entirety of his time in Oasis the fans wanted Noel to do a solo album. He however resisted the temptation and stayed loyal to the band. With the relationship he had with his brother it seemed inevitable however that Oasis wouldn't last for ever and in 2009 the end for the band finally came. Whilst Liam got custody of the band and formed Beady Eye, Noel had the creative spark that had made Oasis and as soon as his solo project was announced I was really interested to see what he came up with.

Finally Going Solo

It had been a long time coming as Noel had regularly shown his vocal talents on Oasis tracks but he never seemed like he was going to step away from the comfort of his band. The spat with Liam forced his hand and this debut solo album is a chance for Noel to show the world he doesn't need his brother and can do it himself. Of course with the writing credits for Oasis's biggest tracks it would be fair to say that Noel would have no problem creating a decent album. I personally felt that Oasis started to go downhill when Noel relinquished all writing responsibilities and poorer quality tracks penned by Liam began to appear more and more often on their albums.

Is It Any Good

The simple answer is that yes it is. For fans of Oasis this is exactly what you would want from a Noel Gallagher solo album. It stays true to the formula he used to write some of their best work and by sticking to what he knows best he creates an album of 10 decent tracks. In comparison to what I've heard of the Beady Eye album, Noel clearly walked away at the right time and his solo album is a lot better than Liam's reformed band's debut album. What he does is deliver exactly what you would expect and for that reason, although it doesn't break any new ground, it's a very good album.

High Flying Birds

The inspiration for the name of the album came from the Jefferson Airplane trackof the same name, whilst Noel also decided to use it as the band name as a homage to Fleetwood Mac or to give them their original name Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.

From the quiet opening of "Everybody's On The Run" you can tell that Noel has found his passion for music again. It opens with silence before the drums, guitars and strings start to wind to the vocal. At 5 and a half minutes long it's a bit of an epic starting point but it is exactly what Noel is good at. His vocals are strong from the start with a hint of echo that really works. Instantly this is a track that would have been at home on any Oasis album, but as an opener it's a great way to start his debut album. The strings meander through the entire track and whilst the tracks pace is quite slow it works really well.

After a slow start the pace picks up well in "Dream On". It's a very guitar centric track with a decent drum beat that really highlights Noel's vocal talents. His voice is strong and sounds really comfortable when accompanied by the musical backing. The pace of the track has picked up and continues a very strong start to the album. The pace drops a little with "If I Had A Gun", which sounds like it was written for Oasis. If it wasn't for the lack of Liam's vocals on this album it would feel like an Oasis album, but it's an album that really highlights where the musical talent was in the band.

Next up is the albums lead single "The Death Of You And Me", a slightly slower track that builds up slowly and really grows on you the more you listen to it. The drum beat really creates a solid foundation for Noels vocals, whilst the guitar accompanies his vocals well. There are a few more experimental sounds within the album and they seem to fit well into the tracks. The pace of the album slows even further with "(I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine". It's another very strong track that really showcases Noel's vocals and musical ability. It has a very strong guitar lead that works really well. The lyrics work well and really fit the context and pace of the track, just like they have on the whole album so far.

One of my favourite tracks on the album is current single "AKA What A Life". It has a fast pace, which Noel seems quite comfortable with vocally. The guitars and keyboard really take the lead and create a very effective musical bed for Noel's vocals. It's a trend that carries on into "Soldier Boys And Jesus Freaks". The drums are more prominent on this track but the pace is quite quick and the vocals come across very strong. The whole album has heavy Oasis influences and that's exactly what I expected and wanted and Noel really doesn't disappoint.

The fast feel of the album continues into "AKA Broken Arrow". It has a good introduction that blends into a very structured verse and chorus sound. The pace isn't quite as quick as the previous tracks as although musically it is quite quick, the vocals purposely slow it down a little and this combination really works well. As we come towards the end of the album there is no real let up with "(Stranded On The) Wrong Beach". A looping guitar accompanies Noel's vocals for the early parts of the track and the two really complement each other well. For me this was the albums weakest track, but the more I listen to it the more I seem to like it.

It's perhaps no surprise that the album finishes with "Stop The Clocks", a track originally written for Oasis. It is perhaps also not a surprise that this is my favourite track on the album. It was originally written in 2001 but never released by the band and actually makes a poignant end to Noel's first solo album. It has a fairly melancholic fell to its but after the faster paced ending to the album it's a more relaxed and thought provoking end to the album.

Noel Succeeds

I think it would be fair to suggest that if you were considering buying this album then you would already have been an Oasis fan. It is 10 tracks of Noel doing what he did best within the band. As a solo album it is perhaps the album Noel would have released at the height of Oasis popularity and it would appear his zest for music has returned. The vocals are strong throughout and both lyrically and musically it is exactly what you would expect from Noel. He may no longer have his brother or the rest of Oasis beside him but he is back to turning out quality music and it should be interesting to see what he does next.