Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
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There has been a revival this summer in the number of decent British Indie rock groups. We have already seen the breakthrough album from Snow Patrol and a fantastic debut from Franz Ferdinand. The latest addition to that list is Leicestershire’s Kasabian. They are currently the music industries darlings and have been tipped to be the next big thing. I never normally agree with the bands they tip for big things but with Kasabian it’s hard to argue against them.
This debut album came about after the band all moved into a Leicestershire farm house together and began recording. The result is quite an impressive debut album that draws heavily on influences such as The Stone Roses and Oasis. In fact you can hear in a number of songs that The Roses were certainly a big impact on the banc musically. I can’t help but wonder if they were still going today if perhaps they would sound a bit like Kasabain.
That’s
enough of the what ifs though. Kasabain unleashed this debut album on the world on September 6th and instantly it seemed they would have a hit on their hands. The singles had received a lot of air play and L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever) was being talked about by Indie fans everywhere. The songs are all written in house by Lead and Rhythm guitarists Christopher Karloff and Sergio Pizzorno, who also writes all the lyrics and takes on the lead vocals.
The opening track really sets the mood for the whole album and it’s for that reason that I didn’t really feel there were any weak tracks. Along with the Franz Ferdinand album this is probably one of the most complete albums I’ve heard in a while. It’s going to take a lot of work for the band to pull of something better, if not as good with the follow up. I’m getting a bit ahead of myself though so back to this the debut self titled album.
I’m not just talking about a lyrically well written album. From a musical point of view each track is almost flawless. The lead guitars in particular really give the album some vision and drive. They tend to mix in the odd sample here and there, which I felt on first listen didn’t really suit but my mind was quickly changed. In fact a lot of the samples sound perfectly placed and add to the song rather than take anything away from it. The drums on certain tracks were the real link to The Roses though as they weren’t just being used to keep the beat but also to give the tracks a bit of an edge.
As I’ve already mentioned the album is a real success lyrically as all the tracks are well written and have quite a catchy hook to them. It really shows the talent that lead singer Sergio seems to have. It’s not just that though, I really felt that his vocals brought the lyrics to live and if they’d been sung by someone else wouldn’t have sounded anywhere near as good. The more I listen to the album though the more I get the feeling that he sounds like Liam Gallagher, if Liam could actually sing.
There are certain tracks that will grab you upon the first listen to the album such as “L.S.F” and “Reason is Treason”. The more I listen to the album though the more I found that I was drawn to other tracks. The real highlights of the album would of course be the two afore mentioned singles, but a couple of other tracks really stand out. I would say my favourite track now would be either “Running Battle” or “Cutt Off”, both of which offer something a little different. They are slightly different to the other tracks, sounding a little bit darker, but it’s really the lyrics that made them stand out. They both have an edge that seems to have been missing from recent releases.
It’s always the way for the music press to go a little over the top with new bands. They do seem to have fallen into that trap with Kasabain but there’s a small part of me that can’t help but agree. They might not be quite as good as they are being made out to be but if you’ve heard either “L..S.F.” or “Reason Is Treason”, then you will love the album. They will have to go some to make a better second album and I cant help thinking they might just be able to do it.
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While it's true that the self-titled debut from Kasabian doesn't sound particularly ... more
original, that's hardly the point. They can be forgiven because they do it so well. Their influences are obvious throughoutKasabian: "Processed Beats" is the Stone Rose...
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Advantages: A superb album, with swagger, great vocals, invention, clever melodies, and powerful rhythms Disadvantages: It took me so long to find them...
jonwebb5 24.06.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Kasabian - Kasabian
Advantages: Plenty of mood, plenty of groove. Intensely atmospheric. Disadvantages: Too much like the Stone Roses. Slightly samey and pretentious- too much electronic wizardry.
thomlafferty 04.10.2004 (04.10.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Kasabian - Kasabian
Advantages: A superb album, with swagger, great vocals, invention, clever melodies, and powerful rhythms Disadvantages: It took me so long to find them...
jonwebb5 24.06.2009 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Kasabian - Kasabian
Advantages: Plenty of mood, plenty of groove. Intensely atmospheric. Disadvantages: Too much like the Stone Roses. Slightly samey and pretentious- too much electronic wizardry.
thomlafferty 04.10.2004 (04.10.2004)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Kasabian - Kasabian
Sep 15th, 2004
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