Search - Kasabian :: Kasabian

Madchester: The Next Generation

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 05/03/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well, it's about time Manchester got a revival -- it's been around fifteen years since bands like the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses erupted onto the music scene. Now with late-70s and mid-80s music being revived in newer, trendier bands, it's about time we got to England in the late-80s and mid-90s.



Enter Kasabian, a Leicester band who put out catchy, synthy, and extremely entertaining rock'n'roll. What does their self-titled album sound like? Well, it has some echoes of those Manchester greats, except that it has a synth edge over those heavy riffs. Add in some very radio-friendly melodies, which are almost guaranteed to get these guys noticed by the media.



Not that that's a bad thing -- they resemble fellow electro-Manchester band South, which happens to be among my favorite Britpop bands. Kasabian is just lighter. They kick things off on a strong note with the expansive "Clubb Foot," which pairs gritty rock with sweeping synth, over Tom Meighan's languid vocals.



Fortunately this is not one of those albums that has one good single, and then gets lazy. Things stay catchy and gritty, all throughout the album, with heavy riffs and steady rhythms, and Kasabian keep their style varied enough that listeners won't be left thinking, "Oh man, are they playing that riff AGAIN?"



Not to mention the singing: Meighan has a very strong, melodious voice. In almost every song, he sings slow and lazily. He sounds either stoned or inattentive, except for a few wonderful songs where he sounds completely into what he sings. "John was a scientist, he was hooked on LSD/Interested in mind control and how the monkey held the key/Said that all life is experiments somebody's planning for the heir/It's for the unexpected citizens who hallucinate in fear," he purrs happily.



Yeah, it can get pretty heavy. but the music is also tempered with an ethereal edge -- there's a brief interlude which is all muffled riffs, deep synth and angelic vocals. At the very least, all that synth serves to lighten up what could have been a dark album, and adds an epic edge to what could have been terribly ordinary music.



The flaw? It gets a bit fragmented, with two peppy electronic "interludes" sitting between harder rock'n'roll. They're pretty, but they feel out of place.



Things climax with hints of another possible direction for them to go in: "U Boat," a rich soundscape that fades away into silence... before fading back into a different mix of "Reason is Treason." It's all hard angles and explosions, and if anything, this mix is even better than the radio-friendly original. (Talk about having your cake and eating it too)



One of the few albums that is catchy and musically rich, Kasabian's debut is one of the best releases this year. It's reminiscent of Britpop greats, but somehow that doesn't matter -- they're original enough to have their own fun sound."

I Want It, Get On It

Paul Martin | Canada | 07/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kasabian is one of the best groups to come out of the UK in the past few years. I simply cannot get enough of this cd. The band's sound is original and the songs are so catchy, making it an awesome debut cd.



Here's how I would rate the various songs:



Club Foot (9/1o)

Great song, it was an excellent pick for radio single. One of the best songs on the album, good sond to start off the cd



Processed Beats (8/1o)

Almost as good as that last one, the only reason it doesn't score as high is because it doesn't have as many lyrics.



Reason Is Treason (8.5/1o)

What can I say, I love it. Stays in your head all day.



I.D. (6.5/1o)

It's not as great as the songs preceding it. A bit slow and not very 'sing-a-longable.' Not much in terms of lyrics, but still not a bad song.



L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever) (1o/1o)

Easily the best song on the album. So catchy, so brilliant. It is a true testament of what Kasabian is capable of at their best. I cannot say enough about this song it is just SO GOOD.



Running Battle (9/1o)

Another hit. Friggin awesome. I don't know what else to say



Test Transmission (7.5/1o)

A near miss. The chorus is pretty good, but what ruins the songs are the wierd verses. It is also one of the slower songs. It's not bad, but not a "oh skip to track 7 I can't wait to hear that song" song.



Cutt Off (9.5/10)

Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant. My second favourite song



Butcher Blues (8/1o)

Its good. Very catchy. Yeah.



U Boat (7/1o)

Not bad, not good. Very (...). Not a very good ending song...



Apart from the three lowest scoring songs This is an amazing Cd. I strongly recommend it. BUYBUYBUY. :D"

You gotta like em :)

likearollinstone | Not Telling USA | 08/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chances are if you're reading this you've heard a Kasabian song one place or another (Probably "Club Foot" or "L.S.F.")and liked it. If this is in fact the case then you should buy this album immediately because you will surely like the rest of it. For those of you who haven't heard something by them, Kasabian are a U.K. band who dable in rock and electronic beats which produces some very good rock/pop songs with beats out of this world. This CD truly rocks and even though the band has put forth a dark mysterious image, it's not "heavy" but any means. It makes you want to get up and MOVE. The lead singer's voice is infectious and just begs for you to sing along with him. There's not a bad song on here either. This is one of those rare CD's you can listen to all the way through, in fact, it's better that way. It's a cohesive album and songs blend right into one another. Kasabian truly created a soundscape on this record that is pure joy to listen to. I gave this album only 4 stars however, because of the lyrical quality. But really that's not where Kasabian win their audience; they excell in the music and they are very very good at what they do."