A return to form.

It's what Oasis fans -- and, let's face it, rock 'n' roll, period -- have been hoping for from the Manchester band for five years now.

After the release of their latest album, Heathen Chemistry, we're still waiting, but with a little more optimism.

The 12-song CD (there's a hidden uncredited instrumental at the end of the disc) is a solid Oasis effort with four or five standout tracks that are good enough to make you want to spend some extra time with it.

Sure, the band pretty much sticks to the formula, maybe blistering things up a little with extra blues rock influences, but the fact main songwriter Noel Gallagher allows the other members of the band to participate -- including brother Liam, who contributed three songs -- adds some much needed, extra dimensions.

Noel's romp Force of Nature and his Wonderwall-esque Stop Crying Your Heart Out are still the highlights of Heathen, but Liam's Songbird and Better Man also jockey for attention.

Overall, it may not be all the way back to the glory of (What's the Story) ..., but Heathen Chemistry offers a nice glimmer of hope that Oasis hasn't totally forgotten the way.

Tuesday, July 2, 2002

Oasis kind of, maybe