BEADY EYE @ BE

Beady Eye's second album <BE> is utterly predictable of the way it's unfolded and it is no where near as exciting as it might have been. After the criticism of Beady Eye's unadventurous debut, Liam Gallagher Senior walked out of Oasis into instant treasure status, Gallagher's described Beady Eye as "more rootsy, more organic and more real" than Oasis but yet this album rarely sounds sure of itself. The indie rock band were born with a point to prove and wanting to become "bigger than Oasis" and attempting to do what their old bang never could to evolve. Once again, the band have promised a balls-out rock'n'roll record by delivering  something top-heavy with sweet, slight acoustic whimsy but by exiting the comfort zone could lead to a strange and fantastic place. Such a clear disconnect could be a formula of dissonance but what is gained is imagination along with some degree of subtly that feels new coming from veterans of Oasis and deliver a pure pop rush with an insouciant flair, perhaps the band are happy to stuck in the past and produce retro goods. When it works, it would be genuinely exciting but too often with brave retro-futuristic collision is neither fish nor fowl.