Ritornano i Kasabian e ritornano alla grande. Dopo il piatto e inconcludente omonimo esordio, pubblicano a quasi due anni di distanza questo "Empire" che ha secondo me tutte le carte in regole per essere un capolavoro e sopratutto per diventarlo.

Il primo-omonimo non è stato accolto bene qui su debaser e io sono d'accordissimo con i voti bassi che sono stati messi. "Empire" si presenta come un album parecchio vario, dura 39 minuti, e da parecchia energia oltre ad essere davvero ben confezionato. Almeno un mese fa ascoltai il primo singolo estratto, la title track, Empire appunto. Vidi il video su internet. Grande video, fatto bene! Un video parecchio costoso, dove vede impegnati i poveri Kasabian in una guerra con il gran finale: Tom Meighan tira le cuoia con un gran colpo di pistola in testa! Ma per quanto riguarda la canzone non si può dire che sia stato proprio amore a prima vista. Mi sono ben guardato dall'assimilare la canzone, ma man mano mi è entrata in testa come un virus e mi ha completamente rapito. Dovevate vedermi la notte, pregare perchè non diventasse una stupida hit come accadde per "l.s.f" (e ancora prima con i Muse di "Time is running out") ovvero da cantare in discoteca o ascoltare per la strada altri idioti che la fischiettano senza sapere una mazza sui kasabian e sulla musica sopratutto dato che probabilmente tali persone vivono a pane&house (o altra merda simile...)

MA... questa e un'altra storia... "Empire" è dunque l'apripista dell'album con i suoi ritmi leggermente danzerecci e quel basso (stile ultimi strokes) che saltella di quà e di là, quell'atmosfera leggermente mistica e un pò medio-orientale, complice l'uso dei violini , usati tra l'altro magnificamente (no come in un certo ultimo album dei Muse dove risultano pomposi ed esaggggerati!). "Shoot the runner" infrange un pò le regole della canzone precedente risultando così con dei ritmi rock-marcati e con dei riff da far paura! La chitarra è in primo piano e non si vergogna di venir fuori. "Last trip(in flight)" è la number three! Ha dei sapori tipicamente sixties con i suoi coretti alla beatles (basti ricordare la loro reason is treason, simile tra l'altro a birthday dei beatles, riecco che ritornano i Fab4 . "Me plus one" si salva e si lascia apprezzare solo per i suoi morbidi archi, poi arriva una delle chicche dell'album: "Sun-Rise-Light-Flies". Qui finalmente la psichedelia tanto corteggiata nelle ultime 5 traccie viene ad accoppiarsi totalmente al sound della canzone, forse con un pizzico di aiuto da parte della mai dimenticata elettronica (potrebbe quasi sembrare una canzone dei Mercury Rev).

"Apnoea" (che titolo!?!?) divide l'album a metà con i suoi scarsi 2 minuti. Dopodichè arrivano i fantasmini del passato, mi riferisco a "By my side", "Stuntman" e "Seek & Destroy"... e non confondete, non sto assolutamente dicendo che sono da buttare, ma ricordano, indiscutibilmente, le canzoni del primo album: campionamento elettronico in primo piano e scarso uso delle chitarre. Di queste 3 forse "Stuntman" è la meno sopportabile (ma forse sono gusti miei, troppa elettronica per i miei gusti). Dopo il "nostalgico" incontro delle tre del'ave maria abbiamo di fronte la seconda chicca dell'album: "British Legion", introduzione ACUSTICA! I kasabian partono sempre a mille nelle canzoni, sopratutto in questo album e ascoltare questa canzone è una vera sorpresa per le orecchie, mi verrebbe da dire! La canzone è "esplicitamente" Brit (ora capisco perchè a Noel Gallagher piace "fottutamente" questo album!). Ma cari lettori, cari ascoltatori... time to go... purtroppo... l'album giunge alla fine con "The Doberman". Altra canzone abbastanza Brit, vede la partecipazione di trombe squillanti a centro canzone con tanto di sound alla "nostalgia spagnola". L'esplosione finale della canzone vede poi un rallentamento che porta alla fine lenta con la voce di Meighan straziata quasi.

Canzoni brevi, dirette e forti, davvero forti! Un album che potrebbe diventare un vero capolavoro negli anni, anche se sono sicuro inizialmente forse non verrà apprezzato. Ma un giorno... vedrete!

Elenco tracce testi e samples

01   Empire (03:52)

Too much information
Well I said you can fall off it
Come on to the back
I said your needles count for something
Guess I'd better sell you now
Guess I'd be around

Singing for your questions
But you've stolen all of my answers
Too much entertainment drove
and thats not all the colour
Tell me that you've seen a ghost
I'll tell you what to fear the most

Stop!
I said it's happening again!
We're all wasting away!
We're all wasting away!

Too much information
Well I said you can fall off it
Stitch your part of counterfeit
I said your far out here
Taking at the roads
Where you're taken for the simple codes

Swimming with the fishes
While the serpent waves his tongue
With a belly full of splinters
Now you see that I'm the one
Tell me that you've seen a ghost
I'll tell you what to fear the most

Stop!
I said it's happening again!
We're all wasting away!
We're all wasting away!

02   Shoot the Runner (03:27)

Shoot the runner, shoot shoot the runner
I'm a king and she's my queen
Shoot the runner, shoot shoot the runner
I'm a king and she's my queen

Dream, dream again in your way
Always knew that you would
Lose yourself to the scene
Am I only a dream

Shoot the runner, shoot shoot the runner
I'm a king and she's my queen, bitch

Bang, bang away on my chang
Always knew that I can
Get you on to the floor
Absinthe make you a whore

Shoot the runner, shoot shoot the runner
I'm a king and she's my queen
Shoot the runner, shoot shoot the runner
I'm a king and she's my queen, bitch

Kings, kings they come and they go
By this sword you must know
All things come and then pass
Live your days like the rest

Aahh.. And you're my queen, that's it
Shoot shoot the runner
Cause I'm a King and you're my Queen, bitch.

03   Last Trip (In Flight) (02:51)

I don't sit alone 'cause I got you
Making tracks through these woods
I´m gonna get my blues
Just holding snacks
Dropping these tabs a hero comes

This is the last trip
Just wanna get you on your own (he's in flight)
I say this is the last trip
Just wanna get you on your own
It's a gas

Now I don't see no light
I don't taste no spit
Silent flash hear the bang
I'm gonna get my rush (this feeling)
No going back (this feeling)
Holding hands (this feeling)
With you (this feeling)
The circus comes (this feeling)

This feeling, this feeling
This feeling, this feeling, this feeling

This is the last trip
Just wanna get you on your own (he's in flight)
This is the last trip
Just wanna get you on your own (he's in flight)

This feeling
This feeling
This feeling
This feeling

This feeling
This feeling
This feeling
This feeling

04   Me Plus One (02:28)

I'm too messed up just at the thought of you.
Where'd you get that smile and the fine hair
I get my kicks from you walkin'
see that girl i see the pyramids,

say

you can't take me away
like a little white rabbit from yesterday
little things said have said enough
I should have shot myself on the run.

I want love love love.
I want love love love right now
I want love love love.
I want love love love right now so come on.

She comes back from the winter
Looking straight into my eyes
Now I'm standing like a Buddhist
I bet you feel I bet you see scared. Saying,

You come take me away,
like a little white rabbit from yesterday
little things said have said enough
I should have shot myself on the run.

I want love love love.
I want love love love right now
I want love love love.
I want love love love right now so come on.

05   Sun/Rise/Light/Flies (04:08)

06   Apnoea (01:45)

Dig demons up, you set demons free
Issue my fire
On the weakened liar
Last gang in town
Set to burn it down
I summoned you to the aftermath

Apnoea
Bearing down on me
Apnoea
Bearing down on me
Apnoea
Bearing down on me
Apnoea
Bearing down on me
Apnoea
Bearing down on me
Apnoea
Bearing down on me

Get your boots in man
Get your boots in girl
See the piggies fly
See the system fail
Said it isn´t me
Said it isn´t you
Change made by all and not by one

Apnoea
Bearing down on me
Apnoea
Bearing down on me
Apnoea
Bearing down on me

07   By My Side (04:14)

Come on by my side
Come on both sides
Come on by my side
Come on both sides

Step out of the shadows
said the children to their saint

you create these zombies
just to keep them from their fate

no communication as the masses
cheat and steal

stars and constellations
now I notice who you are

Come on by my side
Come on both sides
Come on by my side
Come on both sides
come on.

No retaliation
said the poets to his kid

separate the idols
and commit your deadly sin

And all this put aside,
wanna finish what you start

I'll connect the numbers
you protect my heart

Come on by my side
Come on both sides
Come on by my side
Come on both sides

No communication
from the poets to his kin

separate the idols
and commit your deadly sin

no communication
wanna finish what you start

I'll connect the numbers
You protect my heart.

Come on by my side.
Come on both sides.
Come on by my side.
Come on both sides.

08   Stuntman (05:18)

No map looking for the one I love
Cause the one I love is here

No map looking for the one who stands
Cause he´s arming me from fear

We got tuned in by the other side
Lives spent digging holes for the ones that hide

See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes

More cuts taken for the one in silence
Now he sits between my ears

His moves in madness how I love the rush
Could you wipe away these tears

We got taken by
A rush of blood

My trains leaving now
How I wish I could

See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes

See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes

See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes
I´m a stuntman
See the white of my eyes

09   Seek & Destroy (02:14)

Seek and destroy
All you have
'Cos I know

Brother your fears
And my tears
'Cos you know

And all I have now
Is being here with you

Seek and destroy
All you have
'Cos I know
('Cos I know, know right now)

They will never be
(Cover your fear) Tuning in to what we know

And all I have now
Is being here with you

(Cover your fear)
(It´s all we know)

(Cover your fear)
(It´s all we know)

And all I have now
Is being here with you

And all I have now
Is being here with you

10   British Legion (03:19)

See, see how she dances,

With that cigarette in her hand.

And she, she romances, everybody, like she can.

And she, brings to light, and catches me again.

In life, I've seen some wonders, I've played my stupid games with you,

And sing to me like I know you can,

You're a girl without being.

And she, hits a snare, and catches me again.

And I guess, you know, to keep on, dancing. Like I know you can.

We're gonna make it through.

We're gonna make it through, now.

Cos we're gonna make it through.

We're gonna make it through, now.

And the circus leave this town,

We're gonna make it through, and win.

Say we're gonna make it through, now.

Yeah, we're gonna make it through.

I said, we're gonna make it through, now.

And the boys with their dreams, for the boys and their dreams.

I know you're carrying me.

11   The Doberman (05:33)

Silence in the yard
Doberman's asleep
You never have to lay your head down here
Watch them disappear
The truth is...
they never had no future
They never had no past
I was alone (alone alone)
I was alone again

This beatup London sky
Whiskey's almost dry
I smile 'cause I've already escaped
Just like to see how far I can take it

They never had no future
They never had no past
I was alone (alone alone)
I was alone again

They never had no future
They never had no past
I was alone (alone alone)
I was along again (That's how I like it)

(Musical interlude for 2:53 with some muttering of the chorus)

Silence in the yard
Doberman's asleep
You never have to lay your head down here
Watch them disappear

12   Empire (live) (04:15)

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  Sexbeatles

 "Mentre il vintage spopola, loro ripropongono l'elettronica associata al rock, alla maniera del Madchester sound."

 "Due perle: l'acustica British Legion, in cui la voce di Meighan sembra quasi quella di Bob Dylan, e la spettacolare The Doberman, un pezzo entusiasmante che regala anche uno strepitoso assolo di tromba."


Di  Torre Ste

 La musica Indie è diventata talmente pallosa. È tutto un monotono strimpellare di chitarre senza ritmo, senza divertimento.

 Con questo lavoro i Kasabian si candidano come uno dei gruppi inglesi più importanti di oggi, nella speranza che la fiammella della creatività musicale non si spenga a breve.


Di  GrantNicholas

 Se volevano sorprendere, ci sono (in gran parte) riusciti; se volevano un capolavoro, niente da fare.

 In quanto ad originalità, il piattissimo panorama musicale Albionico deve qualcosa a questi quattro ragazzi.