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48:13 - Kasabian


Year Released: 2014

Label: Columbia

Year Bought: 2014

For some reason, and I genuinely can't remember why, I was anti-Kasabian when they first came out. 

Perhaps I was too enthralled by the more post-punk vibes of their contemporaries such as Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand, and I dismissed the lads from Leicester as nothing more than Oasis wannabes.

Anyway, I was wrong, and Kasabian have not only outlasted many of those bands, they clearly have a great back catalogue.

48:13 was their fifth album, and I bought it after watching them headline Glastonbury in 2014 (as in, I was actually at the festival). They were brilliant that night. The crowd - full of flags and flares - were totally enthralled, and it was one of those sets where you were reminded of just how many brilliant songs a group has written. They really are the perfect festival band.

This album - the only Kasabian record I own - is a synth heavy record with proper boisterous bangers. It is peppered with electronica and hip-hop influenced beats, with everything dialled all the way to 11 for most of it.

The lead single 'eez-eh' is actually one of the weaker tracks on the album, almost straying into the novelty record 'Girls & Boys' by Blur flirted with.

'Eez-eh' is buried towards the end of the record, and before then there are some great tracks.

'Bumblebee' is absolutely classic Kasabian, and testament to the fact they are the only band to channel that Liam Gallagher swagger without it being cringe.

'Stevie' starts off with strings and brass before building into another absolute stomper, while 'treat' is a sinister tune with that trademark Kasabian low-slung verse melody before going up a notch.

It's not all lads lads lads, with 'bow' showing some actual vulnerability, and album closer 's.p.s' a straight soft rock tune with slide guitars that even has a Beatles-style outro.

Some of the lyrics are a bit jarring. 'Glass' features a pretty by-numbers view of how the man wants to keep us all in boxes yeah. 

'We fought an entire army with a bouquet of flowers back in the '70's , But now you're taught to remain without will until you run out of energy. Afraid that if you strive for an ideal you end up like a Kennedy,' spoken word poet Suli Breaks tells us. So deep. 

Apart from 's.p.s', and the occasional brief instrumental, the album is quite full-on, but it's Kasabian. It's what you want from them. It's songs you can dance to while drinking Red Stripe. It's great.

8/10

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