It's a pairing that, in retrospect, was inevitable.
Liam Gallagher and
John Squire, two titans of Mancunian modern rock, underwent a severed alliance with their chief collaborators that proved irreparable.
Gallagher parted ways with his brother
Noel once their infighting became too much to bear in
Oasis, while
Squire gamely attempted to mend fences with
Ian Brown within the confines of
the Stone Roses, but their 2010s reunion frayed before the completion of a new album.
Squire chose to retreat in this defeat, while
Gallagher carved out his own identity outside of
Oasis, one that adhered to the group's traditionalism while also embracing contemporary sounds by working with a variety of big-name producers who doubled as co-writers, developing a particular kinship with
Greg Kurstin. After
Gallagher invited
Squire to appear on-stage on his headlining show at the Knebworth Festival in 2022, the pair eased into a partnership recognizing that each filled a respective need:
Squire needed a singer,
Gallagher needed guitars. After establishing their musical parameters --
Bee Gees,
Sex Pistols,
Faces; everything you'd expect, nothing you wouldn't -- the singer let the guitarist write all the songs, just as
Squire did back in the glory days of
the Stone Roses. The process and touchstones may be the same, but there's no denying that times have changed. Imaginative retro revivals have been codified into classicism, and the youthful roar has mellowed, taking along with it the desire to dabble in fashionable sounds. There's nary a hint of acid house to be found on
Liam Gallagher & John Squire, nor is there a sense of hungry abandon, leaving the focus squarely on the duo's craft and musicianship. The pair's taste and attitude mesh seamlessly, not only in how they favor hooks every bit as catchy as the melodies but in how
Gallagher's inherent sneer brings
Squire's latent defiance to the forefront while also adding emotional complexity; witness how he layers a hint of regret in the profane kiss-off of "you should've f*cked me when you had the chance" on "One Day at a Time," nuance
Brown never would've been able to manage. Although
Liam Gallagher & John Squire feels familiar, neither party is operating on cruise control.
Squire pushes
Gallagher into bluesier territory, a challenge the vocalist embraces with grit and glee, while the presence of
Gallagher's chosen producer
Kurstin forces
Squire to abandon his obsessive tendencies.
Kurstin gives the album a bright pop that helps steer the ten songs away from nostalgia. There's no denying the sensibilities of
Liam Gallagher & John Squire lie in 20th century guitar rock, but there's a freshness in how the duo's sensibilities intertwine that gives the record a warm, welcoming pulse. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
