[HOT TRACK]It's midnight for Oasis, if anybody's awake to notice

Rock stars come and go, but it's not always pleasant to watch them on the "go" part, especially a high flyer like Oasis. This Manchester band made a meteoric rise in the mid-90's on the powerful songwriting and contagious vocals of its two leaders, the Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam.

The band marched at the head of the rock parade as if it were the incarnation of the Beatles, influenced mainly by the cockiness of the older brother and songwriter Noel. But unlike the Beatles, Oasis never really made a successful invasion into the American rock scene. And after 1995's "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?", the band's second album, Noel seemed to lose the winning formula.

The brothers are too confident, however, to proceed over the hill without trying to claw their way back up. Their latest attempt at the peak is "Heathen Chemistry." This time, the little brother Liam makes a few songwriting contributions, which come as a nice surprise, but prove he isn't the reincarnation of John Lennon. Still, though, Noel handles most of the songwriting chores.

The fourth track, "Stop Crying Your Heart Out," is representative of the album: lethargic. If you're suffering from insomnia, this could be your cure. The disappointment of the album begins with the first cut, "The Hindu Times," which has nothing to do with India or newspapers.

Likewise, "Heathen Chemistry" is neither bold nor groundbreaking, as the title would lead you to believe. Some of Liam's songs inspire hope, but not enough to save this disk. As usual, Liam's singing is good with the melody lines, but he repeats them and repeats them until they become tedious.

The only bright spot on the album is "Born on a Different Cloud," written by Liam and marked by a strong beat and an echoing melody line and harmonized with intense vocals. The last cut, "Better Man," is also good on the ears, opening strongly with a fast guitar riff.

Noel Gallagher once said, "If you want a progressive sound, listen to Radiohead. But if you want the feeling of being alive, watch our show." Well, it's time to check the schedules to see when Radiohead plans its next release; as for feeling alive, you're taking your chances if you put your money on Oasis.

by Chun Su-jin