Oasis keep rocking same old sound

In the mid-90s, Oasis thought they had been summoned to the birth of their own greatness. They were arrogant and out to change the world, starting their own British invasion with three decade-defining albums in Definitely Maybe, What's the Story (Morning Glory)? and Be Here Now. God knows they weren't the Beatles, but then again, when they were popular, they were very, very popular. \nWell, here we are years later and Don't Believe the Truth, Oasis' sixth LP, finds a band still searching for its sound by looking through their Beatles and Stones collections. So much of Oasis' music has always been traced to their retro rock influences, and much of their appeal lies in figuring where their tunes were borrowed. The second track "Mucky Fingers," driven by hammering drums and the wail of a harmonica, pays homage to The Velvet Underground. The album's single "Lyla" embraces the Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man," however, at five minutes long, it quickly becomes tedious. The last few tracks are good examples of the band's Beatles obsession, with "A Bell Will Ring" sounding closest to Revolver-era Beatles and "Let There Be Love" being a nod to "Let It Be."\nSadly, the trademarks that made Oasis big in the first place are missing from Believe, which is short of delivering even half the electric charge that their sing-along anthems like "Supersonic," "Wonderwall" and "Stand By Me" had in spades. However, even if Believe cannot heft the burden of living up to Oasis' past, it is still a rewarding listen from a band with a hard history that includes a complete remodeling of the band's lineup outside of the Gallagher brothers, cocaine addiction and two albums that didn't meet expectations. Interestingly, the band has finally related themselves directly to The Beatles. Ringo's son Zak Starkey, who is on loan from The Who and Oasis' unofficial fifth man, plays drums on Believe.\nOnce upon a time, Oasis fans were debating whether the band was better than the Beatles. Ever since, we've been left to wonder if they can even top themselves, while the idea of a new Coldplay, Radiohead or Strokes album is as exciting as the first kiss with your sweetheart. \nAnymore, it's not about where Oasis is going next but whether they will ever recapture at least a touch of their past glory. The band's superstardom blew up to such great heights, that the most logical thing for Oasis to do is continue what they're doing: search the perimeter of the crater created by their initial explosion, and pick up the fragments of what was bit by bit, album to album.