SOUND JUDGEMENT

THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED AND REVIEWED

WHY ME? WHY NOT LIAM GALLAGHER ★★★★☆

LIAM Gallagher has swerved the “second album curse” and created a well-rounded and mature collection of songs. From the pop heavy and rounded anthem of reflection and bitterness that is Shockwave, then follows the larger than life One Of Us, which is filled with strings and gospel-inspired backing vocals. Be Still and Alright Now are laid-back songs, filled with recollections and gentle riffs, in the softer side of Gallagher’s performance range. This is a mix of old school 1970s rock and euphoric anthems, all with that expected Liam Gallagher swagger.

CAUSE AND EFFECT KEANE ★★★★☆

THE alternative rockers are back with their first album in seven years, and hopes are high given their previous four records have charted at number one. Luckily for Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley and co, they’ve produced an album as good as its predecessors, all meaningful lyrics, powerful build ups and anthemic, melodic soft rock stylings. Rice-Oxley has penned a poignant collection of songs inspired by the end of his marriage but, while there are certainly some morose moments on the record (the mournful Strange Room about love lost, for one) it’s not completely bleak. A strong effort from a group whose absence certainly left a bit of a hole in the charts.

III THE LUMINEERS ★★★☆☆

NOT since their catchy debut Ho Hey have The Lumineers bothered the upper reaches of the UK singles charts – and while this obtuse new album is unlikely to change that, it has plenty to offer. Split into three chapters, the ambitious set and its track-bytrack videos tell the story of the Sparks family – fictional characters, though the first character Gloria was inspired by a relative of singer Wesley Schultz. An addict rendered homeless by her circumstances, Gloria’s three songs surprisingly provide the most upbeat-sounding section of the album.