Give
Liam Gallagher considerable credit for a streak of wry self-awareness. The shrug lying within the title
Why Me? Why Not. doesn't read as arrogance, it plays as a joke. Coming from a singer who once sneered at any emotion that came his way, this is a sign of maturity. The album -- his second as a solo artist -- sounds mature, too. Working once again with a bevy of producers headlined by
Greg Kurstin and
Andrew Wyatt,
Gallagher essentially expands upon 2017's cleanly polished
As You Were, relying on the same blend of comforting psychedelia and controlled six-string roar. Every song here could trace its musical roots back to
Oasis -- there's a cheerful reliance on classically constructed pop tunes and heavy-booted stomps -- but
Why Me? Why Not. consciously lacks the abandon that was present in even the band's last records.
Gallagher may still possess a voice that naturally adds sandpaper grit to the smoothest of surfaces, but that doesn't change that he's singing songs that aspire to be nothing pleasing pop tunes. That's why he's fortunate that he's working with the likes of
Kurstin and
Wyatt. These producers -- who complement each other and occasionally collaborate -- give
Why Me? Why Not. considerable color and flair without seeming fussy. The productions are painted in bold, primary colors, as are the melodies, which effectively make the individual tracks easy layups for
Gallagher. All he needs to do is to step in and do his thing, lending these immaculate tracks personality. Granted,
Gallagher isn't as potent a personality as he was a quarter-century earlier, but his middle-aged control has its charms, too. He sounds relaxed on
Why Me? Why Not., maybe for the first time ever. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine