Since {$Noel Gallagher} plays most of the parts on the album, {^Standing on the Shoulder of Giants} isn't really the debut of the new, post-{$Guigsy}/{$Bonehead} lineup, but it is clearly the beginning of {$Oasis}, Mark II. Such a grandiose statement may imply that it's a clear break from {$Oasis}' past, yet that's hardly the case, since many signatures are still in place -- strummed acoustic guitars, big hooks, undeveloped lyrics, familiar rhymes, and a gigantic wall of sound. The arrangements are every bit as detailed as {^Be Here Now}, but they're clearer and better focused, since {$Oasis}' brains weren't clouded with excess and hubris. Ironically, this is also their most overtly druggy, psychedelic release to date -- {$Gallagher} and {$Mark "Spike" Stent} spent endless hours adding Mellotrons, swirling guitars, and vague dancefloor ideas borrowed from {$the Chemical Brothers} and {$the Charlatans UK}, while {$Noel}'s melodies invariably follow the minor-key patterns typical of '60s psychedelic pop. Yet for all of its heavy psychedelic influence, {^Standing on the Shoulder of Giants} is really a self-consciously mature departure from the group's usual ebullience, a deliberately mellow, mid-tempo album spiked with hints of big beat and electronica to prove that they're with it. This may result in the most cohesive {$Oasis} record since {^Definitely Maybe}, but that cohesion has come at a price. Few songs are as bracing as {$Noel}'s best work from the first three albums; not even the rockers have the giddy rush or alluring sparkle of classic {$Oasis}. Yes, this flows well, but it's the work of a self-consciously older band and it's hard not to miss the hard rock, pure attitude, and gigantic hooks that made the group's reputation in the first place. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide