Kasabian are more musically exciting than a multitude of bands taste-making hipsters thrust our way, yet they’re universally derided by those sorts. The reason is their blokeyness. And it’s true, even the light, lovely, strummed ballad “Wasted” from their new, sixth album has (quiet) terrace-chant backing vocals. And anything singer Tom Meighan touches musters a certain Liam Gallagher belligerence. That, however, isn’t a good enough reason to dismiss them. For Crying Out Loud is full of tasty bits.
For those familiar with Kasabian’s back catalogue, the album’s flavour is midway between 2006’s glam-stomping Empire and their last album, 48.13 (which was, in itself, a steroidal reimagining of their debut). The Seventies touch comes to the fore on numbers such as “Good Fight”, which sounds like a Britpop Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, while “Bless This Acid House” wants to be The Sweet. Those looking for dodgy cuts will find them – the single “You’re in Love With a Psycho” is an uncharacteristic disco-rock oddity, a miss rather than a hit, and there are a couple of other filler songs. But there’s also plenty to get your teeth into.
First and foremost, “Are You Looking For Action” is a !!!-style eight-minute-22-second stoned white funk thing, replete with a great sax solo at the end. Then there’s “Comeback Kid”, a brassed up, euphoric rampage midway between Primal Scream and Ian Brown, and the low-slung, spacious groove of “Sixteen Blocks” is a worthy addition to the band's catalogue, although they can’t help but give the latter a shout-along bit at the end. The slowies are effective too, the aforementioned “Wasted”, the floaty Sergio Pizzorno-sung “All Through the Night”, and closer “Put Your Life On It”, a campfire clap-along that recalls early-Seventies hits by the likes of George Harrison and Cat Stevens.
In the end, less is never more with Kasabian. More is more! And if you can’t go with that, they’ll remain an annoyance. For those ripe to be whipped up by their bullish desire for a communal rock’n’roll good time, their new album has some juicy songs and enough imagination to be a blast.
Overleaf: Watch the video for "You're in Love With a Psycho" by Kasabian
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