C'mon You Know
opens with children singing the chorus to "More Power," a sound that's not necessarily unheard on rock records but one that often conveys a sweetness so cloying it's saccharine. To
Liam Gallagher
's credit, "More Power" is a place where he avoids sentimentality: the children's chorus is intended to convey a broadened musical range, instead.
winds up covering a fair amount of musical ground, balancing stately power ballads and heavy-footed rockers -- the core elements of
Gallagher
's style -- with such unpredictable left turns as the trippy
Bo Diddley
strut "World's in Need" and the teatime psychedelia of "Moscow Rules." The latter was written in conjunction with
Vampire Weekend
's
Ezra Koenig
, and he and his frequent collaborator
Ariel Rechtshaid
co-produce the track with
Andrew Wyatt
, who produces the lion's share of
, as he has on every
Liam
album since 2017's
As You Were
. The
Koenig
co-write along with "Everything's Electric" -- written in conjunction with
Dave Grohl
and
Greg Kurstin
, whose sound dominated 2019's
Why Me? Why Not.
-- hint at a riskier record than
C'Mon You Know
often is, yet the slight flair
Wyatt
layers throughout the comfort food
offers does make a difference, as does the commitment of
. Nearly three decades into his career,
retains a slight edge to his voice that enlivens even staid settings, but this gift isn't necessarily necessary as his urgent delivery does give the album a driving force. He's working in a tonier setting, relying heavily on studio wizardry and polish, yet
remains a rock & roll star, the kind who turns generic material into something worth a listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine