Heathen Chemistry

The Beatles have reunited! Oh wait, no, it's Oasis. Barring a real Beatles reunion (less and less likely, these days) this is the Next Best Thing (tm). Heathen Chemistry is their latest, due out in about a month. The lead single is Hindu Times, a great Sgt Pepperish tune based around standard opposites (you're my sunshine you're my rain). There are few artists today that are as completely dedicated to drugs as Oasis, and they extol the wonders in several of the songs. The approach of "this is normal, no big deal" with which it is handled is beautiful. It's not glamorized, it's just a given. I found it interesting that they included an instrumental, not a normal move for a mainstream band and rather nice. Musically, the album is as strong as you'd expect from the boys. Lush wall of sound, great tone, and structurally reminiscent of late era Beatles. Hot Spots: Hindu Times, Born on a different cloud, Hung In A Bad Place.