Mediocre Trip

A lot of bands these days draw inspiration from old and new music. However, one would hope that such a band utilizes their influences with grace and uniqueness until they carve out their own musical niche. With their debut self-titled album, The UK’s Kasabian may be on a path to finding themselves, but throughout this late 80’s Brit-Pop, tripped-out excursion, they lack substance and even come off goofy.The album starts off rather successfully with a reverb-drenched anthem entitled “Club Foot.” Its cohesive structure, buzzing synths, and an engaging chorus provide for a healthy three and a half minutes of sonic stimulation. But, for the most part that’s where the stimulation ends. Tracks like “LSF (Lost Souls Forever)” and “Running Battle” sound flat and tired as they drag on with bland beats and meaningless lyrics. “Cutt-off” with its sing/speak vocals tries way too hard to be epic and ends up being amateur. Interludes, on most albums, can be a nuisance and can disrupt a listener from getting to the more substantial material. Since there isn’t much substance to be found here, the two minimal and melodic instrumentals included are a breath of fresh air. “Test Transmission” may be the best song here, other than the lead-off track. With nicely treated backward tones that blend pleasantly with echo-laced vocals, it is truly a shining moment in an otherwise dull album.

Most of this album will have listeners pressing the skip button, searching for something as fulfilling as the few memorable tracks. All they will find are ill-fated attempts at a type of music that reached its peak in the late 80’s and early 90’s.