While
Kasabian kick against the pricks, their audience dances. The band raises a fist, the fans shake a tail feather, but even if they're a
Happy Mondays without a current cultural need for a
Happy Mondays, the grooving and groovy
48:13 is a great reason to pretend. Named after its total runtime, the album is a lean, mean machine of singalong revolution songs and baggy jeans dance music from folks old enough to be wearing fitted by now, but the hunger to survive and flourish is as palpable as it was on their debut. Maybe it's the loss of fifth member and rhythm guitarist Jay Mehler, but whatever the reason,
Kasabian continue to challenge themselves and toss off the big beat sound of 2011's Velociraptor! with returning producer
Sergio Pizzorno keeping things tight and upfront. As such, the uptempo strut of "Doomsday" makes a short journey out the speakers, grabs the listener's hand, and heads for the rock-rave dancefloor, while the bass-dropping "Eez-eh" is well aware of EDM's big bottom, even if the sequencer and the spirit all point backwards toward acid house. In 2014, that's rebel music for mums, but if the song's "Everyday Is brutal, now we're all being watched by Google" isn't a middle-class revolt, it's at least middle-class awareness and the out-of-time, out-of-place, full-of-spirit
Kasabian play to their strengths, as always. ~ David Jeffries