aaamusic | On 19, Sep 2011

Kasabian strikes back with their fourth album, a work already announced as a juke-box, a rock classic, something people don’t expect.

So this moment is really awaited and expectations are high, because the Leicester lads are risking everything they earnt with three successful albums and many sould-out tours. They grew up and now seek the real glory.

Velociraptor! has been already anticipated by three songs, showcased during the summer in a triumphal warm-up tour and many festival participations, I was at the first date in Sheffield and when I heard Velociraptor and Switchblade Smiles I had a shock.

The first song is pretty different in its studio version, played live sounds powerful and rock, a real stadium anthem, while in the other version there’s a strong synth that gives the tune a videogame atmosphere, as the acid echo on their voices, in addition I can distinctly hear a distorted bass line that seems to disappear during the live.

Switchblade smiles is the darkest tune with that heavy synth that reminds Chemical Brothers and Prodigy, broken by raw screams and a hefty guitar, it sounded like a prelude to riots with the verse “more violence is coming I’m running, I’m running”

Then Days Are Forgotten was released as the first official single. It is the perfect pop song, despite the jungle screams and the funky guitar, but the refrain is irresistible, like Meighan’s vocal style.

The likely next single is Re-Wired, catchy enough and involving like a good single should be, but it doesn’t fail to show little gems in its arrangement.

There’s a huge use of organs and synthesizers, used like only Kasabian can do, but with different sounds, it’s true that this album is quite different compared to the other ones, starting from its concept. It’s really a juke-box album and this allows to put together excellent songs, like La Fee Verte, the revelation of this album, already heard in London Boulevard, and something poppier like Goodbye Kiss, a tribute to a certain type of 60s music, a la Ronettes, or Roy Orbison.

La fee verte is a clear tribute to the acid period of the Beatles, mixed with cinematic atmospheres created by strings on the background. It’s a proper movie song and Sergio Pizzorno shows to be a fine soundtrack composer. Another song on this mood is the album opener Let’s roll just like we used to. Mixing an intro a la Morricone, and a 60s beat flavour, it’s another perfect movie song. Another strong point of Velociraptor! is the attention to arrangement, every detail, guitar solo, or synth note is not left to chance and  it proves that the band has a clear head about the direction the want to take.

To be honest, there are two songs that could be put aside, I hear voices and Man of simple pleasures are not the best tunes, but Kasabian can be forgiven playing Acid Turkish Bath (the title is self-explaining) and the beautiful Neon Noon, a ballad a bit beatlesesque, a bit recalling Grateful Dead, both much loved by Pizzorno.

Kasabian definitely passed the exam and Velociraptor” is the pass to enter the stadium as protagonists and become one of the most famous rock band of this century.

The certain thing is that people will have a great time during their next, already announced, tour, Velociraptor” contains at least five bombs that will break the walls of venues in which it will be played.

 

Author: Roberta Capuano