Kasabian
Kasabian

(RCA/BMG)

First Appeared in The Music Box, March 2005, Volume 12, #3

Written by T.J. Simon

Linda Kasabian was the star witness for the U.S. Government at Charles Manson’s murder trial. As Manson’s getaway driver, her 18 days of testimony for the prosecution is largely responsible for the fact that the deranged cult leader remains, to this day, behind bars. Fortunately, the Britpop band adopting Kasabian as its moniker is not a tribute to Manson or his turncoat chauffeur. Instead, the quartet from Leicester, England presents a different kind of walk down memory lane on its enjoyable, but derivative, self-titled debut.

Kasabian’s synth-heavy "rock music for dancing" sound recalls 15-year-old British exports such as Happy Mondays and Primal Scream, and when the band finds its groove, it’s hard not to feel transported back to the sounds of the Lightening Seeds (Reason Is Treason) and The Soup Dragons (Running Battle). Nevertheless, Kasabian’s brand of old-fashioned new wave also draws upon a plethora of modern hip-hop elements, including the cool drum loops that underscore its homage to Lo Fidelity All Stars (Processed Beats) and the rapped vocals of Butcher Blues. Elsewhere, Radiohead-like electronic noises adorn the eponymous collection’s stand-out track I.D. as well as the album’s opener Club Foot. Unfortunately, the effort falls apart during its latter half. Test Transmission continues with the cool beats, but its dumb lyrics and simplistic rhymes quickly wear thin. In addition, the chaotic opening of Pinch Roller lasts far too long, and by the time its melody is revealed, it’s difficult to get excited about it. Even more annoying is the fact that Kasabian buried a "hidden track" after a good bit of silence on the final cut, which is without a doubt the worst manner in which to hide a song and conclude an outing. ½

Kasabian is available from Barnes & Noble.
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Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2005 The Music Box