LIAM GALLAGHER JOHN SQUIRE Liam Gallagher John Squire ( Warner Records )
Where Oasis faded away after lineup changes and brotherly infighting , The Stone Roses burnt out . Second Coming , the highly anticipated and much belabored sophomore effort from The Stone Roses ( after a near perfect debut album ), took five years to see the light of day . At this point , the anticipation was so huge that anything less than a perfect album would be seen as a failure . When Second Coming sunk like a stone , guitarist and songwriter John Squire took it harder than his bandmates . Hastily assembling The Seahorses , Squire would deal with a two-decade jinx that found him recording and then shelving multiple projects and a Stone Roses reunion . Liam Gallagher , however , has hit his stride in his post-Oasis days . Where Liam used to use the British tabloids as his own bully pulpit , he now uses social media to his benefit , showing his underacknowledged sense of humor and grip on the current state of the world . Releasing three successful solo albums that kept his unique vocal prowess front and center while flirting with modern pop sounds eventually grew into a collaboration with producer Greg Kurstin . Liam needed to fill out his sound with a lead guitarist , preferably one who didn ’ t share his last name . Hence , John Squire seemed like a perfect fit , and he came with a batch of songs already written so Liam could focus on bringing bulletproof swagger to these sessions . The results are a glorious Britpop album that would have fit perfectly in the heady days of 1995 . You will not find experimentation or edginess here . Instead , these ten bright rockers cut the gristle off the steak and leave a wildly competent rock and roll record . Joey Waronker ( Beck , R . E . M ., Atoms For Peace ) fills out the sound with his playful and dynamic drum work . “ Just Another Rainbow ” is the most psychedelic thing here , while most of the tracks mirror the meat & potatoes “ maximum R & B ” of pre-Tommy Who music . Squire even pushes Liam into a realm he has never touched in his 30-year career on “ I ’ m A Wheel ”… the blues . Paul Butterfield Liam is not , however he throws his whole signature Mancunian sneer into the song giving it a sort of menace and danger missing from most of his brother ’ s solo work . The true star of the show here is John Squire ’ s guitar
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work : simultaneously flashy and simple , he throws all kinds of interesting leads all over these songs , at times even becoming like a second voice . Whether this is the beginning of an actual band or a one-time fling doesn ’ t matter ; the sheer bliss this music provides should be applauded .
– Andy Derer
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THE SMILE Wall of Eyes ( XL )
Even with a compact eight-song set , the second album by the most Radiohead-compatible of Radiohead ’ s side projects manages to refine and expand the chemistry captured on debut A Light for Attracting Attention . The set and overall sound benefit from road-testing of songs like the glistening car wreck of “ Bending Hectic ” and the off-kilter “ Read the Room ” ( describing “ massive egos so big they bend the light ”), including shows at the Riv in 2022 and the Pitchfork Festival in 2023 . Thom Yorke ’ s melancholy tenor pivots among claustrophobia , resignation , disdain , and paranoia . “ Will I make the morning ? I don ’ t know ,” he sings atop drifting synth swells during “ Teleharmonic .” With a drunken jazz waltz of piano and bass , “ Friend of a Friend ” recalls communal scenes of pandemic-era goodwill while wondering whether the wrong people likely benefitted from public funds meant to get those communities back on their feet . Jonny Greenwood ’ s twisted guitar arpeggios upend “ Under Our Pillows ,” abetted by Tom Skinner ’ s expertly unbalanced percussion . The adventurous sonic explorations on Wall of Eyes draw upon known Greenwood favorites , including Can-like krautrock , prog , neo-classical ,
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17 YEARS
Record Store Day is back ! Now in its 17th year , our full release list in this issue includes some amazing titles that can also be viewed on recordstoreday . com and our digital edition . Our picks featured here are some of our favorite titles released on RSD , Saturday , April 20th .
DIO The Last in Line ( 40th-anniv . zoetrope picture disc ) ( Rhino )
Rhino will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the platinum-selling Dio album , the Last in Line , with a special zoetrope-design picture disc . Housed in a die-cut jacket , the zoetrope picture disc animates characters and figures from the iconic cover art when played on a vinyl turntable . Featuring the singles " Mystery " and " The Last in Line ," this 1984 classic also features stage favorites " We Rock ," " I Speed at Night ," and " One Night in the City ". A worldwide hit , the last in line was Dio ' s highest-charting album on both sides of the Atlantic .
WIZ KHALIFA Loud Pack ( Rostrum )
Wiz Khalifa 7 " singles pack of classic mixtape favorites arrives , featuring the first ever vinyl release of the platinum hit " the thrill ," along with " Mezmorized ," " Pittsburgh Sound ," " Friendly ( feat Curren $ y )," and “ California .” Housed in a matte-treated and embossed box , each disc is pressed on a different color , with
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Zoetrope animation silkscreens on the B- sides of “ Pittsburgh Sound ” and “ friendly .”
THE WHO The Story of The Who ( Geffen )
On April 20 , 1976 UK compilation that ’ s never been officially released in the USA and hasn ’ t been globally available on vinyl since 1989 . Sometimes regarded as the most complete Who ‘ Best Of ,’ this version , with a replica of the original 8-page booklet and pressed on colored vinyl ( pink and green ), was mastered by longtime engineer Jon Astley and cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road .
GORILLAZ Cracker Island ( Warner Records )
Gorillaz is releasing a special record store day 2024 deluxe edition of their chart-topping 2023 album Cracker Island . The one-off release features six additional tracks that haven ’ t been available on physical formats before , as well as exclusive new album artwork by Jamie Hewlett .
Cracker Island ( deluxe vinyl edition ) is a limited-run release pressed on colored double vinyl ( 1 x pink disc , 1 x magenta disc ). It includes four bonus tracks ( side c ) and two remixes ( side d ), plus a doublesided art print by Jamie Hewlett .
THE DREAM SYNDICATE Sketches For The Days of Wine and Roses ( Fire )
Sketches offers up unearthed cuts from the early days of cult heroes , the Dream Syndicate , pressed to vinyl for the very first time . Demos and rehearsals taped between formation and the recording of their seminal Days of Wine and Roses album , recorded by drummer Dennis Duck , mostly in 1981-82 . Lifting the lid on one of the key protagonists of the paisley underground and the ‘ 80s psychedelic revival . A cathartic and creative outpouring of exciting ideas and tangential grooves . In the words of frontman Steve Wynn , " We ' re playing music we want to hear because nobody else is doing it ." According to Pitchfork , “ at any given