oasis

While I was studying at Oxford University this summer, Wednesday nights in the beer cellar came to mean two things: expensive drinks and the smooth, nostalgic sound of Oasis. Ten pounds ($22) in the jukebox was enough to keep their greatest hits spinning all pregame long. It was here that I fell in love with classics like "She's Electric" and "Morning Glory."

Unfortunately, the group's latest effort, Dig Out Your Soul, fails to provide such easy singalongs. While Oasis sticks to the guitar-based rock and Beatles-esque vocals that made them big when we were young, the album has a darker, less innocent tinge than the upbeat and relatable (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. It's difficult to tell whether this newfound sound reflects the state of the world or just the state of a tired '90s band-as one might infer when lead singer Noel Gallagher laments, "I'm tired. Come get me off the merry-go-round."

Despite the fact that the band seems to have lost the pop formula it perfected a decade ago, Dig does have its bright spots. Listeners will be pulled in by the flow of guitars on tracks like "The Turning" and "Falling Down." Here, Oasis proves that although they may never reproduce our childhood anthems, they are still relevant. The chorus on the first single, "The Shock of the Lightning," shows signs of fresh creativity. It'll grow on you, but it's no "Don't Look Back."

With a uniform tempo and feel throughout, Dig Out Your Soul's 12 tracks blend together, making it hard for listeners to pick one to revisit over and over again, like we all did with "Wonderwall."

Maybe I need a few pints in me, but I'm not going to be paying in pounds to hear this one.