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Rating:
What criteria should be used to evaluate the work of artists who have been on the scene for over twenty years? The inevitable severe comparison with the first albums, then with those of maturity, and finally the most recent listening that memory recalls.
Kasabian are seasoned musicians, brazen first in their statements than in the creation of albums. They hybridize rock and electronics with drops of psychedelia, manage to make danceable club music and simultaneously gain credibility with critics.
The circle opened by the self-titled album (who doesn't remember the heavy rotation of L.S.F. on the then Mtv?), continues first with the dark electronics of “West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum” and closed with “Velociraptor” (2011) with a greater turn towards classic rock. Then two not-so-unforgettable albums (especially the last one) and the expulsion of frontman Tom Meighan with Sergio Pizzorno, already a historic composer and guitarist, taking the microphone.
This album, released last August, is extravagant starting from the futuristic aesthetic artwork with those bold titles placed there shamelessly.
An album many geological eras away from their first studio experiences, with the electro-pop production of the same Pizzorno in collaboration with Fraser T. Smith covering every square inch of available space.
Kasabian have always been flamboyant, they've never played by subtraction, it must be said, but the grandeur of “Euphory’s Alchemist” leads to serious reflection.
That Pizzorno has vented all his musical influences (there's even the hip-hop of the single “SCRIPTVRE”) is quite clear.
Some tracks, despite being somewhat boisterous, work well like “ALYGATYR,” which has a great beat perfect for live performances. Other times, the group's stylistic identity risks becoming more uncertain amidst these new sparkling sounds. “The Wall” could be a good B-side of “Goodbye Kiss,” but “STRICTLY OLD SKOOL” slides by without significant jolts, while “STARGAZR,” as far as I'm concerned, could even have been an instrumental piece.
If “T.U.E.” charts a course out of the comfort zone by simulating space journeys, “ROCKET FUEL,” reminiscent of Prodigy, stands among the best things heard, the only flaw being that it's too short!
One can notice how the first part features a more direct sound that then gets toned down after the instrumental interlude in favor of more deliberate rhythms, only to gain altitude again with “CHEMICALS,” which has a catchy chorus leading to the final lullaby of “LETTING GO.”
The golden times of Kasabian seem gone, and it is unknown if the future will bring back the old Tom. I would have appreciated a more experimental use of electronics; some tracks seem to be overstretched when they could have dared a bit more.
However, the album, pretending to relegate the first albums to oblivion, also due to its length, flows reasonably well, without major highs or lows, certainly proving better than its predecessor.
If one can speak of a new course, we will see in the future. Here, one enjoys it; it is party music, there is lots of ease, the serious music, or simply the old Kasabian vinyl, we play on another night.
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