When it comes to musicianship and melody, Kasabian are the best commercial rock band out there. Their blend of electronica and brit-pop guitars is indisputably unique. Sergio's distinctive Leicester-accented vocals are ridiculously catchy. The band have grit, creativity, a fun sense of simplicity and a modern edge. What is there to really dislike? This album sees the band's whole sound being upped in intensity. There's more groove and texture due to more synths and electronic drums and less guitars. The catchiness is also at an all-time high, engineered for drunken crowds to sing along to, making this their most fun album yet.
For sure, Kasabian have never been the best wordsmiths in the world. The lines 'horsemeat in the burgers/ people commit murders/ everyone's on bugle/ now we're being watched by Google' seem to have caught the attention of every critic out there. Whilst I'll agree its not exactly poetry, there's clearly some social observation going on here, and even if Kasabian aren't quite sure how to channel this social observation into something that has any actual relevance to the music, its still more intellectual and engaging than the pop cliches about sex and clubbing that hog the radio airwaves. The preachy soliloquy on the track 'Glass' is perhaps the only moment on this album that truly bugged me, largely because it gets in the way of the album's fun side. Other than this brief moment of needless pretention, 48:13 is a audial roller coaster from start to finish. And in case you were wondering, yes, the album's 48:13 minutes long. Alright, so the album title sucks too, but I can let that slide.
★★★★☆
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