Kasabain – Velociraptor!

Whether you love them or hate them (as a great many seem to), it’s hard to deny that Kasabian are good at casually slipping ambitious ideas into the mainstream. While they capture the laddishness that Oasis were so adept at, they also have much broader ideas. Here on their fourth LP Velociraptor!, they fully embrace influences like Spaghetti Western composer Ennio Morricone, traditional flamenco music and other avenues that the Gallaghers wouldn’t approach if they were armed with the biggest stick they could find in their cave.

‘I Hear Voices’ has a lo-tech groove that wouldn’t be out of place on the more subdued moments of Daft Punk’s Discovery; ‘Let’s Roll Just Like We Used To’ opens with the kind of sounds that play before Bruce Lee is about to deliver a good-old-fashioned ass-kicking while ‘La Fee Verte’ sees singer Tom Meighan’s voice tinted by French jazz singers. The leading single ‘Days Are Forgotten’ is like swaggering, guttural funk-rock with gunslinger-movie choirs: it’s the kind of thing that Clint Eastwood hears in his head when he goes to the gym. Together with their forward-thinking, however, they possess a sense of fun which makes them far less pretentious than many would label them as.

Kasabian will not be so easily dismissed by the fashion-conscious after they hear this. It strikes blow after blow and strikes them well. Even 60’s pop gets a going-over in ‘Goodbye Kiss’ which sounds like a rearranged Hollies song (or a Big Star song, if I’m feeling really complimentary).  Those who showed up for re-runs of ‘Club Foot’ may be disappointed, but this release will delight newbies and faithful fans alike. It’s a record that crosses so many barriers, absorbing everything from The Knife to Liars to Elvis Costello, opening new doors for the casual listener. We may just have something very special on our hands.

[4.0/5.0]