Kasabian
Empire

THE REVIEW

For a few years now, in England, there has been a search for new sounds by delving into the past with bands that release debut albums praised and criticized simultaneously, but then they get lost when it comes to their second LP, losing the little reliability they had gained.

The Kasabian seemed destined to be part of this heap of lost bands. “Indie music has become so boring. It's all monotonous strumming of guitars without rhythm, without fun,” they declared not long ago, indicating that they wanted to break away from this melee and not be forgotten within a few months, releasing “Empire,” the follow-up to their self-titled debut album that had allowed them to open for the Rolling Stones. The record begins immediately with the title track and it becomes clear that the band has taken another musical direction. There are no more samples and more space is given to guitars. The sound becomes more gritty and danceable, incorporating middle-eastern melodies with strings. This song makes one forget the more well-known “L.S.F.,” proving to be completely different. “Shoot The Runner” only enhances the sound, even harder, thanks to well-executed and integrated riffs. “Last Trip” vaguely recalls the beat sounds of the more celebrated Beatles but doesn’t lose its edge.

“Me Plus One” preludes “Sun Rise Light Flies,” where the band mixes characteristics of already famous tracks more than ever: in the vocals, Noel Gallagher is reminiscent in “Let Forever Be,” the music blends songs of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Mercury Rev. Perhaps it is the best of these first five tracks. “Apnoea” is 100% electronic. “By My Side,” “Stuntman,” and “Seek And Destroy,” are three successive tracks that seem to be crafted for their debut album. The guitars disappear and samples dominate again, lowering the overall album's appeal, and it’s a real shame. “British Legion” is a song that greatly recalls the brit-pop of the '90s, a song like Oasis to put it better. Acoustic, with electronic only in the background and, above all, very catchy. A little gem for a band presenting themselves behind this musical mask for the first time. The closing song is “The Doberman,” which revisits the sounds of “British Legion” and combines them with trumpets towards the end, thus creating a crescendo that culminates in an explosion of sounds, strangled at the end.

Looking at the second work of some of their peers, this is by far the best, even though the ghosts of the past still need to disappear. The best pieces are the first five and the last two.

Still, with this work, Kasabian position themselves as one of the most important English bands today, in the hope that the flame of musical creativity will not be extinguished soon.