Kasabian's "New Baggy" Movement
Written: Jul 14 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Entertaining at times, upbeat, dynamic...
Cons: Not at all original, sometimes is repetitive...
The Bottom Line: Whether you will enjoy Kasabian on any level depends on whether you liked baggy or like baggy. It's not original, but it is often entertaining.
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| lambchops's Full Review: Kasabian - Kasabian |
A good personality and witty responses go a long way. Kasabian’s lead singer Tom Meighan has been interviewed many, many times. He admits his flaws and gushes over other cool bands (Gomez, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Mad Action, and mates The Music). His likeability helped to earn Kasabian attention, but the mix of pop and indie and Happy Mondays style sounds are what earned them an audience.
Kasabian burned up the UK charts upon the release of their late 2004 self-titled debut. Four separate songs were hit singles across the great pond--Club Foot, LSF, Processed Beats, and Cutt Off. Meighan along with bandmates Sergio Pizzorno, Christopher Karloff, and Chris Edwards soon embarked on a musical journey to America. Unfortunately there are no certainties about music in this country. It is much easier (according to folks “in the know”) to be famous for a moment in the UK. In the US on the other hand, uber-talented bands can work a lifetime to achieve a sliver of notoriety only to die alone, broke, and naked. What’s in the stars for Kasabian? Who is to say, but as of yet they’ve not made a splash stateside.
The real question though is should they make a splash. As many music fans know, there is an abundance of over-hyped bands from the UK. I could run down a list of 30 in a heartbeat, but I’ll save you from the trouble of reading it. Suffice it to say, these acts vary in talent and staying power. As far as Kasabian goes, I’m of the firm belief that they fall somewhere in the middle of the pack. I like the direction they go with their music, but it all too often isn’t well executed. The Leicester-based band takes a bit of the aforementioned Mondays (the “baggy” part in particular) and tosses in a dash of U2, a splash of The Stone Roses, and a touch of EMF (or is it Jesus Jones) for some real zing. My problem with the band lies more in their inability to carve out their own identity. I seem to only be able to think of them in relation to other proven acts. Of course this also means that the songs are mostly comfortable which allows for an immediate audience. I’m just left confused and wondering who and what Kasabian is.
Before you think I’ve written them off, there are a few things I need to get out in the open. First of all, there are some engaging songs on this album. Second of all, I’ve heard my fair share of good and mediocre and for that matter bad imports over the last five or so years. Trying to stay hip and up-dated on these frequent next-best-things is tiring to say the very least. Kasabian doesn’t help me along in this trying process—I’m at the same time impressed as I am depressed by their eponymous album.
Kasabian begins with the driving Club Foot. It has an electronica/rock edge that makes the track suited for the stereo and dance floor alike. Think Jesus Jones crossed with Prodigy and you’re on the right track. It’s fast, it’s loud, it’s got electronic elements mixed with the “real ones, and it is entertaining. I can’t think of a better way to have started this disc. The only real problem I have with it is that it isn’t necessarily representative of the other songs that follow. Particularly, Processed Beats goes baggy with groovy guitars and drums augmenting Meighan’s coy vocals. It reminds me rather specifically of something from James circa 1991 or so and has little in common with Club Foot.
Reason is Treason is a somewhat typical British/baggy/pop song. It’s nice enough to listen to with the combo of keyboards, drums, guitars, and smooth vocals but in the end it just doesn’t stick. More perplexing though is ID, a largely instrumental song with no apparent direction or purpose. It takes a whole minute and a half to finally stumble upon vocals. When they finally do happen, Kasabian has already lost my attention. The thing about albums like this is that listeners have short attention spans. We want catchy melodies and memorable lyrics from the beginning—not from the middle.
It takes until LSF before the album gets back on track. Fortunately rather than turning back to EMF, Prodigy, or even Jesus Jones for inspiration the band returns to their baggy roots. The druggy, beat heavy track is easily one of the best on the album. It’s concise and immediately entertaining. Kasabian doesn’t try to make the song anything more than it should be—just good ol’ fashioned British pop with a distinctly baggy swagger. Running Battle follows that song up with some slower, simpler rhythms. It’s not nearly as kinetic or entertaining as Club Foot or LSF but it still is probably one of the better ideas here. Similarly, Test Transmission is an upbeat little track.
Cutt Off is next on the docket following an interlude, Pinch Roller. It’s a midtempo baggy romp well worth checking out. Remember folks—if there’s one thing that British bands do really, really well it is record ready-made singles. Cutt Off is no exception. Butcher Blues is also fine enough, but by no means remarkable. As the album wraps the instrumental Ovary Stripe passes with little note. U Boat, the closing track, is lovely and smooth. It’s still distinctly “baggy” and “electronic” but the band exhibits slightly more emotion. Emotion is good—especially when your music is this derivative.
Kasabian makes entertaining music. That much is easy and obvious. However, whether you like the band’s take on a scene now nearly fifteen years in the past is dependent on what you thought of it in the first place. If you didn’t like Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, James, and a host of other so-called baggy bands you’re really not going to like Kasabian. You also have to look beyond all the hype and realize that this is a pop band that makes kicky music with touches of electronica and rock. Check out singles Club Foot, Processed Beats, LSF, and Cutt Off and don’t miss the hidden track buried at the end of number 13. Kasabian makes inconsistently interesting music.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Club Foot
02. Processed Beats
03. Reason is Treason
04. ID
05. Orange (Interlude)
06. LSF (Lost Souls Forever)
07. Running Battle
08. Test Transmission
09. Pinch Roller (Interlude)
10. Cutt Off
11. Butcher Blues
12. Ovary Stripe
13. U Boat
Recommended:
Yes
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lambchops
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Georgian Bay, here I come! Gone until July 13.
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