2005 Oasis: The Importance Of Being Idle

I have to confess that I've been coming to almost every Oasis single to date with a very heavy heart; not so much because I'm always able to predict what I'm going to get or that I'm rarely disappointed in my prediction, but more because in being presented with more of the same, there are only so many ways I can express that disappointment. Which is why I'm pleased to report that 'The Importance Of Being Idle' does confound my expectations by providing me with something different. Not that different, but different enough; 'The Importance Of Being Idle' sees the band shifting away from the rock snarl of old (aided in no small part here by Noel handling lead vocal duties) to something altogether more - dare I say it - interesting. 'The Importance Of Being Idle' is very English rustic but with an urgent drive that belies Gallagher's laziness praising lyric ("But I don't mind, as long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine, I'll be fine"). True to form, precedents are being followed here, but in crossing the kitchen sink music hall of The Kinks' 'Dead End Street' with the controlled, ramshackle charm of Small Faces' 'The Universal', 'The Importance Of Being Idle' manages to be derivative without acquiring the immoral taint of counterfeiting. Or plagiarism. But add it all up and you get one of the few (for me anyway) Oasis singles that rewards repeated plays.