Review Summary: Kasabian goes insane.
There seems to be only 3 reasons artists have for making music. Some musicians see music as another form of art in which one can express themselves in ways that simple words could never do. Others see it as a possible route to becoming wealthy by exploiting a certain genre. Then again, I have met musicians who make music, to just simply make music for other's to enjoy, with no other motivation or purpose. So, what is Kasabian's motivation for making music? Well, it's hard to say, but it may be a combination of the three. The music of Kasabian was conceived by a group of college students who were directly inspired by the growing "Madchester" scene in Western England during the early 90's, well before their time. The music that emerged from the scene mixed Alternative Rock, Psychedelia, and Dance music. Kasabian's origins may be humble, but their attitude has always been rather presumptuous.
They see themselves as a band birthed by the music and attitude of Oasis. A band that combines Ambient-Electronica and Rock music with pseudo-Hip Hop tendencies. They heralded themselves as being the answer to the problems in modern music, all in the hopes of reaching popularity and it's benefits. This is a band that doesn't really need any promotions from other corporations because they've realized how easily they can do it themselves. Their guitarist, Sergio Pizzorno, even claimed their latest album,
Velociraptor!, to be a true Rock classic. Now, when it comes to music, it's all a matter of opinion, though it seems that Kasabian's opinion of themselves is rather high. So, do they live up to that standard? Well, it depends on who you ask. The name may not be as easily recognized in the Americas, but Europe, especially Britain, surely recognize their self-proclaimed brilliance.
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, displays many positive qualities about the band. This album alone, introduces a group of musicians with a willingness to experiment with their music. Songs like;
"Underdog",
"Where Did All The Love Go?",
"Fire", and
"Secret Alphabets" - all show a band that combine their influences with an imaginative and dexterous synergy. This is a band that takes their music quite seriously, but at the same time, also see themselves as just a group of guys trying to make music that will simply get the party started.
"Fast Fuse" is a song that lives up to it's name, the band really cranks it up to 11 on this one.
"Vlad The Impaler", with it's roaring choral chant,
"Get Loose, Get Loose!", could serve to be a haven for any DJ at a nightclub trying to get everyone on the dance-floor. Kasabian also show that they are able to steer away from their comfort-zone while displaying a confidence in their consciousness, regardless of what territory they're headed musically.
"Thick as Thieves", a ghastly acoustic piece that is reminiscent of the early Psychedelic "carnival-esque" sound from the 1960's, this is a direction that has never been seen in their past recordings but it's orchestrated beautifully.
There are an amalgamation of sounds that incorporate West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, ranging from Hard Rock, Electronica, Folk, and Psychedelia.
"Secret Alphabets", displays a level of artistry that is rarely seen in past efforts. Within it's eastern influence, lies a presence of spiritual psychedelia which reflects that of George Harrison's compositions during The Beatles' latter albums. Kasabian is no stranger to Psychedelic music, and their approach to psychedelia has always been very reminiscent to that of Trip-Hop.
"Underdog" and
"Vlad The Impaler", are a perfect example of this.
"Take Aim", within it's pseudo-Hip Hop drum beat, incorporates a variety of effects that generate a hypnotic Rock and Roll sound that can be heard throughout most of the heavier songs. Instrumentally, Kasabian have matured quite a lot since their debut album and have began to develop a very distinct and unique sound.
This album does contain it's share of negative qualities though. The lyrical limitations of Kasabian is nothing new, and they hardly seem to put any effort in improving this flaw, even when arriving to their third album. Most of the album consists of songs with haphazard lyrical messages, that often, make no sense. One could say that this adds to the "Lunatic" theme of the album, as the songs are narrated by psychotic patients of this Asylum that Kasabian is giving us a tour of. But, that's not the case. Sergio Pizzorno has stated that the reason he choose to name the album, "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum", is because he loved the way the words looked together and the feeling it evokes - This alone, speaks volumes about the band. This is how Kasabian view the purpose of lyrics within their music. They simply write lyrics to decorate the music, that will sound good in your ear when you hear it, regardless of the message.
"West Ryder Silver Bullet" begins with a spoken message in the beginning. The words give out a haunting feeling, but the message make no sense. And it is also added to a song that doesn't compliment the introduction message either, it's a strange missmatch. Needless to say, this song's meaning is an enigma.
Another flaw in the album, is ironically within the band's most positive qualities- and that is their willingness to experiment, perhaps almost too willing. The album's conclusion,
"Happiness", sets out a wonderful dream-like atmosphere with it's ambient effects and soothing vocals. It's almost hypnotic and begins to give out a trance, but then a choir begins to accompany in the singing, and in my opinion, ruins the effect the song was building up to. If they would have left Sergio Pizzorno to sing the song by himself it would have had much deeper effect. But, others may see it differently. As I said before, music is all a matter of opinion. Behind all of it's concepts and praise from it's authors, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, is, for the most part, the same Kasabian we've gotten to know from the previous two albums. The band does embrace it's rock origins a bit more than their previous releases, while also exploring some new territories, as they often do. This is an album that is indeed worth a listen, and within it's versatility, has something for everyone.
