PRINCES OR PAUPERS?
>>>Kasabian>>>West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum>>>They may not look it but Kasabian are pretty clever blokes. In the build up to their third album, they released "Vlad The Impaler" online for a limited period, along with a video featuring every emo/scene/hipster/whatever girl's favourite comedian/pin-up Noel Fielding, running around being zany as usual. Then, they managed to get album opener "Underdog" to soundtrack the latest Sony Bravia advert which featured Kaka (wearing an AC Milan kit only a matter of months before switching to Real Madrid...woops). So far, so good in terms of exposure. Add to this a top 3 single with "Fire", roping in Rosario Dawson of Sin City fame for a duet ("West Rider/Silver Bullet") and being billed as Bruce Springsteen's 'special guests' at Glasto, Kasabian are certainly setting themselves up to be a Big Band™.

"West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum" certainly has all the hallmarks of a typical Big Band™ album; the preposterous name, the band's bravado around the release and a lot of psychedlic flavouring...if you catch my drift. In terms of the latter, it goes from the superb breakdown of second single proper "Where Did All The Love Go?" to the just plain oddness of the intro of the aforementioned Rosario Dawson duet (probably the only time the phrase "emus in the zone" will appear on an album). Whilst the psychedelia is fairly evident throughout, "West Ryder..." still has more than it's fair share of 'old Kasabain'. Tom Meighan's barked vocals on "Underdog" hark back to their debut, whilst "Vlad The Impaler" welcomes back the ground shaking bass that has characterised virtually every Kasabian hit.

But the pick of the bunch has to be "Fast Fuse". Released last year as a limited edition vinyl single, it's up with the band's best; a frantic, bluesy rocker with the best riff Noel Gallagher never wrote. Whilst the folksy "Thick As Thieves" offers a calmer but just as catchy side to the band as well as providing evidence that Sergio Pizzorno isn't that bad of a singer, the rest of the album appears to be little more than filler, and not even good filler at that. If anything "Ladies And Gentlemen (Roll The Dice)" resembles the dirges that made up the numbers on Oasis' post-Morning Glory, pre-Dig Out Your Soul albums, "Swarfiga" is a bland instrumental that goes nowhere remotely interesting and "Secret Alphabets" and "Happiness" are little more than Beatles pastiches that are only marginally better than The Enemy's efforts at the same.

The much-discussed cover may give the impression of a 21st Century "Sgt. Pepper's..." but the album itself is slightly more conservative, much less forward-thinking than that landmark. That's not to say that Kasabian haven't produced their best work to date, and one of the more brave albums of the year, in terms of branching out musically. I just hope Tom Meighan gets a good haircut and fast.
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "Underdog", "Where Did All The Love Go?", "Fast Fuse", "Vlad The Impaler", "Take Aim", "Fire"
FOR FANS OF: Oasis, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Primal Scream
7.5

NEU!
>>>TRACKS>>>31.05.09>>>Little Boots, Kasabian, Jamie T, Alexis Blue, The Chapman Family

Little Boots - New In Town
Apologies for reiterating the most over-used cliché concerning new music this year, but let the electro-pop battles commence! For those not in the know/living under a particularly heavy rock, Little Boots is being grouped together with La Roux and Florence & The Machine as a "Holy Trinity" of modern, hyped, female electro-pop singers. All three are being weighed down by the expectation laid on them at the beginning of the year by critics eager for bright new stars to foist into the limelight. Anyways, "New In Town" is the lead single from LB's debut album "Hands" and has "CHOON!" written all over it. It's pretty clear to say that this will be getting repeat plays all over the country during Freshers Weeks in September, and they'll be deserved. The chorus "I'm gonna take you out tonight/I'm gonna make you feel alright" is simple yet genius at the same time and puts the former Victoria Hesketh out in front against her rivals. {Watch the video for "New In Town"}
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Kasabian - Fire
The Leicester loudmouths comeback single is something of a slowburner (pun intended). Starting off sounding like a psychedelic jam, "Fire" soon bounces into a bluesy stomper of a chorus and possibly the easiest thing to sing along to at this summer's festivals that isn't "Ruby" or "Chelsea Dagger" ("I'm on fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrre!" is pretty much it). As always with Kasabian's lyrics, they don't exactly mean too much, but who really cares with a something this groovy (hippy-ness not intended). It's not even the best track on their third album "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum" but still possibly the best thing Kasabian have released. {Watch the video for "Fire"}
7.5

Jamie T - Sticks N' Stones
How Jamie T isn't as big as Arctic Monkeys will forever be a mystery to me. He's got all the lyrical wit and verve of Alex Turner, the musical eclecticism of The Clash and the likeability of Kaiser Chiefs (without actually sounding like them, which is a talent in itself). "Sticks N' Stones" is his first new material released since the fantastic debut album "Panic Prevention" and it jumps about in all the right places. For a middle-class white guy from Wimbledon, he can't half rap and can craft a tune better than almost any 'bonafide popstar' around. Once again, it'll be massive at the festivals and if it doesn't propel Mr T. (no, not that one) to a similar level as the aforementioned Kaisers then I'll eat my straw hat. {Watch the video for "Sticks N' Stones}
10

Alexis Blue - Tarred & Feathered
AB have returned! Any new material from them is a cause for celebration, and "Tarred & Feathered" is no different. No massive deviation from the typical AB formula, but if it ain't broke, then it doesn't need fixing. "Tarred & Feathered" sounds more focused, tighter than anything AB have produced previously and, like Jamie T up there, they should been rising faster than mercury but for some baffling reason, they remain virtually unknown. So go download their debut album (it's free) or other demos or get down to a gig. You won't regret it. {Download "Tarred & Feathered"} {Download AB's debut album for free}
7.5

The Chapman Family - Kids
I haven't got a clue whose idea it was to stick The Chapman Family on the bill of the NME Radar tour below Magistrates, Heartbreak and La Roux, but whoever it was has a wicked sense of humour. Imagine a bunch of Radio 1-obsessed kids running to the front of the venue to see La Roux and all her electro tricks and being hit with the wall of distortion and anger that the Chapmans make. Hilarious, in my mind anyway. Back on topic, "Kids" is the first single from Teeside's finest and has an unfortunately similar chorus to Maximo Park's "The Kids Are Sick Again". But, this is a world away from the slick indie-pop of Maximo. This is proper "turn-it-up-loud-and-piss-off-your-parents/neighbours" angry rock that has been missing from British music for a long while (I don't count Gallows). "Kids" should be the anthem for all pissed and pissed-off teens across the country and for those in the know, it certainly is. {Watch the video for "Kids"}
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