Kangol Around the World.

It may be a symptom of feeling a little rundown and sorry for myself, but listening to a random Oasis song this morning surprised me by hitting me right in the heart.



The song was 'Don't Go Away' from their overblown 1997 album, 'Be Here Now'. I don't even know why it entered my head as it wasn't a big hit and, if anything, comes across as a little generic. But, for whatever reason, I requested it via everyone's favourite spy-in-the-room, Alexa, and, within minutes, I was blubbing like a Daily Express reader who's just seen a photo of Princess Di. Or George Osborne at Thatcher's funeral. Okay, I may be exaggerating, but it moved me, even though it was probably the germs talking.

Oasis are an odd band for me as there was a time when I was really liked them. They appeared on the scene when I was a guitarist in a group at school and somehow made being in a rock band seem viable again. But my love for their music faded quickly, and now, most of their songs leave me cold. They're formulaic and all attitude with no substance. Blur may have lost the battle in 1995 when 'Country House' was up against 'Roll With It' - neither band's best work - but they won the war by a long chalk.

So, why did the song feel different? Most Oasis tropes are present, from the elongated vowels to Noel's trademark 'diddledy diddledy' lead guitar riff, and yet, somehow, it all lands better than usual. And the reason, I think, is Liam's earnestly sincere vocal. According to Wikipedia, he cried in the studio as he recorded it, which isn't surprising when you listen back. It's the age-old gift of honesty in art (even if the artwork in question is a lesser-known track from a subpar album); if the performer believes what they're saying wholeheartedly, the audience believes it too. And that's three years of drama-school training in a nutshell without the exorbitant fees and poncing around.

(You're welcome.)

So it turns out 'Don't Go Away' is a diamond in the rough. Listening to it won't change your life, but it might make you reflect for a moment. You might also start walking like an abnormally long-armed monkey, but if you do, that's your funeral.

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