È da qualche anno ormai che in Inghilterra si cercano nuovi suoni scavando nel passato con dei gruppi che pubblicano debutti osannati e criticati al momento stesso, ma che poi si perdono al momento della riscossa con il loro secondo LP, perdendo quel poco di affidabilità che si erano procurati.
I Kasabian sembrava che dovessero far parte di questo fottio di band disperse. “La musica Indie è diventata talmente pallosa. È tutto un monotono strimpellare di chitarre senza ritmo, senza divertimento” dichiaravano poco tempo fa, facendo capire che loro volevano uscire da questa mischia e non essere dimenticati nel giro di pochi mesi, dando alle stampe “Empire”, il seguito del loro omonimo debutto discografico, che aveva permesso di aprire i concerti dei Rolling Stones. Il disco inizia subito con la title track e si capisce che il gruppo ha preso un’altra direzione musicale. Non ci sono più campionature e si da più spazio alla chitarre. Il suono si fa più ruvido e danzereccio, con inserimento di melodie medio-orientali con archi. Questa canzone fa dimenticare la più conosciuta “L.S.F.”, risultando completamente diversa. “Shoot The Runner” non fa che migliorare il suono, ancora più duro, grazie ai riff ben eseguiti e inseriti. “Last Trip” riprende vagamente sonorità beat dei più celebrati Beatles, ma non perde di mordente.
“Me Plus One” anticipa “Sun Rise Light Flies”, dove il gruppo mischia più che mai caratteristiche di pezzi già famosi: nel cantato viene ricordato Noel Gallagher in “Let Forever Be”, la musica mischia canzoni di Black Rebel Motorcycle Club e Mercury Rev. Forse è la migliore di queste prime cinque tracce. “Apnoea” è elettronica al 100%. “By My Side”, “Stuntman” e “Seek And Destroy”, tre pezzi in successione che sembrano essere costruiti per il loro esordio discografico. Le chitarre scompaiono e i campionamenti tornano a padroneggiare abbassando il fatturato complessivo dell’album, ed è un vero peccato. Con “British Legion” è una canzone che ricorda moltissimo il brit-pop degli anni ’90, una canzone alla Oasis per intenderci meglio. Acustica, elettronica soltanto in sottofondo e soprattutto molto orecchiabile. Una piccola perla per un gruppo che si affaccia per la prima volta dietro questa maschera musicale. La canzone conclusiva è “The Doberman”, che riprende le sonorità di “British Legion” e le unisce a trombe nel finale, creando così un crescendo che si conclude con un’ esplosione di suoni, strozzata nel finale.
Vedendo il secondo lavoro di alcuni loro colleghi, questo è di gran lunga il migliore, anche se devono ancora sparire i fantasmi del passato. I pezzi migliori sono i primi cinque e gli ultimi due.
Comunque 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.
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.
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
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di principles
"Empire si presenta come un album parecchio vario, dura 39 minuti, e da parecchia energia oltre ad essere davvero ben confezionato."
"Canzoni brevi, dirette e forti, davvero forti! Un album che potrebbe diventare un vero capolavoro negli anni."
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 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.
