Epic

If there were ever a better argument for Oasis being a singles band, "Stop the Clocks" pretty definitively would prove that Liam and Noel Gallagher are much more adept at penning three minutes of brilliance than whole albums.
 
"Stop the Clocks" is a band-curated glance backward at what could be charitably described as an erratic career. Following the one-two punch of 1994's "Definitely Maybe" and 1995's "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?," hubris got the better of the brothers Gallagher, and the results were often sprawling or downright miserable.
 
With last year's "Don't Believe the Truth," Oasis is getting back on track, recapturing what made the band essential to the Brit-pop revolution. Wisely including "Truth"'s best songs ("Lyla" and "The Importance of Being Idle"), "Stop the Clocks" is simultaneously a terrific introduction for the unfamiliar and a smartly assembled mixtape for the Oasis faithful. 
 
- Preston Jones