WHAT'S THE story, former glory? Guigsy, Bonehead, McGee and Charlie have all departed (though it could be argued that the first two were never really that central to the Oasis equation anyway), Creation have folded, and the Gallagher brothers have both recently acquired wives, children and dodgy Lennon-esque haircuts. Is the band's bubble about to burst, leaving just a faint tang of cheap lager before dissipating into the atmosphere like so much hot air? The answer, my friends, is that I can't predict the future and so I don't know. What I do know is that Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants is not a very good album.

This is the sound of swagger running out of steam: the sound of a big band in limbo, simultaneously undergoing both creative and identity crises. I've listened to these ten tracks repeatedly over the last two days in the hope that something would be a grower. U nfortunately, I've just grown bored and then bored some more. 'Fucking In The Bushes', the rocked up, sampled and heavily psychedelic instrumental opener, is probably the most interesting thing here, mainly because it hints - briefly - that Noel might be about to make an artistic leap of faith and lead his band into uncharted waters. Unfortunately, he doesn't. He walks to the edge of the musical abyss, looks down, loses his nerve and then runs back for one last stampede around Oasis' familiar stomping ground.

At times, they're not so much standing on the shoulders of giants, as standing on the shoulders of dinosaurs - unashamedly borrowing from everyone from The Doors and Led Zeppelin to the Beatles and the Stones. Suffice to say that this is Oasis by numbers - or Quo-asis as some of their harsher critics have dubbed their now jaded sound. Lyrically it's completely uninteresting and there are no great statements, just the usual love stuff and the rather ironic (but only just) Noel-sung 'Where Did It All Go Wrong?'. Liam's debut effort 'Little James' is a rip-off of Lennon's 'Beautiful Boy', only interesting because he wrote it.

Even if you like Oasis, this record will do little to make you like them more, and if you're among the unconvinced (or Damon Albarn), you'll simply feel vindicated. Gallaghers' dead hero once stated that life's what happens when you're busy making other plans. Albums like this also happen when you're busy making other plans.

Hopefully Noel Gallagher - who'll undoubtedly be slagging this one off in 18 months time - is too proud and arrogant to let it be. He already knows he'll have to try harder next time and new recruits Andy Bell and Gem Archer (who joined the band after this album was recorded) may be the sparks that renew the flame. I certainly hope so.

For diehard fans only.