Liam Gallagher John Squire (also referred to as Liam Gallagher & John Squire) is a collaborative studio album by English singer-songwriter Liam Gallagher and guitarist John Squire, released on 1 March 2024 through Warner Music UK. The album was preceded by the singles “Just Another Rainbow” and “Mars to Liverpool”. It marks Squire’s first album of material under his own name in twenty years since Marshall’s House (2004).
On 5 January 2024, Gallagher and Squire released “Just Another Rainbow”. The single debuted and peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. The album’s second single, “Mars to Liverpool” was released on 26 January 2024. It peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart. The album’s third single “Raise Your Hands” was released on 3 March 2024, it was promoted at the Manchester Derby at the City of Manchester Stadium
The duo announced a 2024 tour on 26 January; it is set to begin on 13 March at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow, Scotland, and will end on 11 April at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in New York City.
~~~~
It’s a pairing that, in retrospect, was inevitable. Liam Gallagher and John Squire, two titans of Mancunian modern rock, underwent a severed alliance with their chief collaborators that proved irreparable. Gallagher parted ways with his brother Noel once their infighting became too much to bear in Oasis, while Squire gamely attempted to mend fences with Ian Brown within the confines of the Stone Roses, but their 2010s reunion frayed before the completion of a new album. Squire chose to retreat in this defeat, while Gallagher carved out his own identity outside of Oasis, one that adhered to the group’s traditionalism while also embracing contemporary sounds by working with a variety of big-name producers who doubled as co-writers, developing a particular kinship with Greg Kurstin. After Gallagher invited Squire to appear on-stage on his headlining show at the Knebworth Festival in 2022, the pair eased into a partnership recognizing that each filled a respective need: Squire needed a singer, Gallagher needed guitars. After establishing their musical parameters — Bee Gees, Sex Pistols, Faces; everything you’d expect, nothing you wouldn’t — the singer let the guitarist write all the songs, just as Squire did back in the glory days of the Stone Roses. The process and touchstones may be the same, but there’s no denying that times have changed. Imaginative retro revivals have been codified into classicism, and the youthful roar has mellowed, taking along with it the desire to dabble in fashionable sounds. There’s nary a hint of acid house to be found on Liam Gallagher & John Squire, nor is there a sense of hungry abandon, leaving the focus squarely on the duo’s craft and musicianship. The pair’s taste and attitude mesh seamlessly, not only in how they favor hooks every bit as catchy as the melodies but in how Gallagher’s inherent sneer brings Squire’s latent defiance to the forefront while also adding emotional complexity; witness how he layers a hint of regret in the profane kiss-off of “you should’ve f*cked me when you had the chance” on “One Day at a Time,” nuance Brown never would’ve been able to manage. Although Liam Gallagher & John Squire feels familiar, neither party is operating on cruise control. Squire pushes Gallagher into bluesier territory, a challenge the vocalist embraces with grit and glee, while the presence of Gallagher’s chosen producer Kurstin forces Squire to abandon his obsessive tendencies. Kurstin gives the album a bright pop that helps steer the ten songs away from nostalgia. There’s no denying the sensibilities of Liam Gallagher & John Squire lie in 20th century guitar rock, but there’s a freshness in how the duo’s sensibilities intertwine that gives the record a warm, welcoming pulse.
REF: Wiki & AllMusic
Sacramento’s K-ZAP 93.3 FM plays Gallagher/Squire. All part of 50 years of Rock, Blues and More, 24-7 on our station’s stream at K-ZAP.ORG/LISTEN/
Check out Gallagher/Squire: