Kasabian
have always been notably eclectic for a ‘mainstream’ band, even within their records,
and this is true again on the stripped down 48:13. There are plenty of different types of songs
on show. The advantage of this, as ever
for Kasabian, is that one can never get
bored because there’s no time get used to one particular sound; this, of
course, is also the corresponding disadvantage (just when you’re in love with a
particular direction, Kasabian unceremoniously
pull you in another one). Broadly
speaking, though, there is a change on 48:13
from the more reflective 60s influenced underpinning to their last effort,
2011’s Velociraptor!, in favour of a
more dance-infused riff-laden party vibe.
At times this record is stunning, although it’s just a little too inconsistent
to make the top 10. ‘bumblebee’ is a
wonderful opening statement of intent and harks back to their 2009 classic
‘Vlad the Impaler’. ‘stevie’ is
essentially a violin-led dance track, which feels truly epic, especially in its
soaring chorus (this was a highlight when we saw them live recently). ‘treat’
is a floor-filler which has more in common with hip-hop than rock in terms of
its structure. The true standout for me,
though, is single ‘eez-eh’, which – while being a cheese fest – is the single
best pop song of the year. I have danced
to it many, many times.
sample
track: eez-eh