Since
Noel Gallagher plays most of the parts on the album,
Standing on the Shoulder of Giants isn't really the debut of the new, post-
Guigsy/
Bonehead lineup, but it is clearly the beginning of
Oasis, Mark II. Such a grandiose statement may imply that it's a clear break from
Oasis' past, yet that's hardly the case, since many signatures are still in place -- strummed acoustic guitars, big hooks, undeveloped lyrics, familiar rhymes, and a gigantic wall of sound. The arrangements are every bit as detailed as
Be Here Now, but they're clearer and better focused, since
Oasis' brains weren't clouded with excess and hubris. Ironically, this is also their most overtly druggy, psychedelic release to date --
Gallagher and
Mark "Spike" Stent spent endless hours adding Mellotrons, swirling guitars, and vague dancefloor ideas borrowed from
the Chemical Brothers and
the Charlatans, while
Noel's melodies invariably follow the minor-key patterns typical of '60s psychedelic pop. Yet for all of its heavy psychedelic influence,
Standing on the Shoulder of Giants is really a self-consciously mature departure from the group's usual ebullience, a deliberately mellow, midtempo album spiked with hints of big beat and electronica to prove that they're with it. This may result in the most cohesive
Oasis record since
Definitely Maybe, but that cohesion has come at a price. Few songs are as bracing as
Noel's best work from the first three albums; not even the rockers have the giddy rush or alluring sparkle of classic
Oasis. Yes, this flows well, but it's the work of a self-consciously older band and it's hard not to miss the hard rock, pure attitude, and gigantic hooks that made the group's reputation in the first place. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine