Kasabian are a band whose
albums I rarely go back to, but whenever they release a new one I can be pretty
confident that I’m going to have a blast in the short term. They’ve always been a ‘party’ band, but For Crying Out Loud feels especially
like it was designed to be played at an undergrad keg-fest, all beer bongs and
bouncing. It’s an awful lot of fun. It’s also perhaps their definitive (if certainly
not best) album. Kasabian have explored dance music before, with quite a bit of
success, especially on 2014’s 48:13. But, for me, some of their dancier stuff from
recent years strayed a bit too far from their rock roots. For
Crying Out Loud feels, therefore, like the right blend – and the exemplar
of their ‘sound’ – because it’s very much dance-rock. The lead instrument here usually is the guitar,
but this is not structured or executed at all like a rock album. Opener ‘Ill
Ray (The King)’ sets the scene, with bouncy bass, a drum sound partially borrowed
from house music, a smile-inducing chorus and some underlying 70s disco elements.
Yay. The brass opening of ‘Comeback Kid’ had me trying to work out how to
programme horns so I could feature something similar in one of my own songs. ‘Are
You Looking for Action?’ would be a strong addition to any LCD Soundsystem record. Loads
to enjoy. It’s not all good, admittedly. ‘The Party Never Ends’ is sub-Beatles
whinging, and closer ‘Put Your Life On It’ is a horrible end to a great record:
an exercise in rote strum-along meh-ness. Overall, though, this is an album that is a joy
to put on, even if I suspect I won’t remember a single track on it in a year
from now.
sample track: Are You Looking for Action?