Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 2.5/5 Released: September 19, 2006 Reviewer: Tyrone Castanho |
The sophomore album is the most critical album for any band’s career; it sets the stage for a long and fruitful career or fades into obscurity, hopefully with some grace. Kasabian’s self-titled debut album was a resounding success in both the BritPop and electronica-inspired rock fusion scenes, drawing comparisons between DJ Shadow and the Stone Roses.
Empire comes to the North American shores hoping to ride the successes of their previous album’s comprehensive singles and thus solidifying themselves amongst the very groups upon which they draw inspiration. Unfortunately, Kasabian and Empire not only falls under the collective shadow of their iconic predecessors, but the success of Kasabian as well.
It’s an album that fails to impress upon previous work, but that’s not to say that there isn’t an effort on the band’s part to remain inventive. The opening track bearing the same name begins with a quickly recognizable bass intro and flows into an orchestral hook that indicates the group is aware of the epic heights to which they must aspire, but it comes apart with the following song, ‘Shoot the Runner.’ The repetitive vocal line of ” I’m her king, and she’s my queen… bitch” falls thirty yards short of its desired effect and highlights the band’s stop-and-go feel throughout the whole album.
There is a return to form with songs like ‘By My Side’ and later ‘The Doberman,’ both of which carry an undeniable weight throughout the mosaic of music stylings each track exhibits. ‘Stuntman’ is another song that pierces through the haze of narcotic cliche and carries you along for the full five minute running time and serves most to expose what could have been.
Though a creative album with a killer outro, the lacking vocals of Tom Meighan and the overhanging sense of imitation rather than innovation dull this sophomore’s cutting edge.
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