Kasabian – Happenings

Kasabian’s eighth studio album ‘Happenings’ was released last Friday via Columbia Records. It’s the second album post-Tom Meighan and was produced by Serge Pizzorno and Mark Ralph (Sub Focus / Rag n Bone Man).

*banner image credit: Neil Bedford

Artwork courtesy of MBC PR

Despite 2022’s number one album, ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria,’ there was no escaping its frontman-sized hole baggage. The focus should have been on the quality of ‘ALYGATYR’, ‘LETTING GO’ and ‘CHEMICALS;, instead,theret seemed to be constant questions and opinions about their past.

As such, the approach to the ‘Happenings’ release had the air of a last-chance saloon. A once truly great creative force was in danger of becoming a heritage act if this didn’t land.

There is a directness to ‘Happenings’, a real trimming of the fat at just twenty-eight minutes long, which serves it well. Every couplet a hook, no middle-eights, Pizzorno has written an album that Record Label bosses in the ‘60s would have killed for.

‘Darkest Lullaby’ and ‘Algorithms’ bookend the album with melodies so pure that any weight of expectation has seemingly dissipated. ‘Darkest Lullaby’, lyrically beset with self-doubt and heartbreak (“Oh, I don’t where I’m going now…I was afraid we got so high), they use the dancefloor, via the disco licks of Marr and Rodgers and the rock ‘n’ roll funk of Vanilla Fudge as route of escape. ‘Algorithms’ is blessed with the spirit of future tour buddies The Streets’ ‘Weak Become Heroes’ and Lou Reed’s simplistic classic ‘Perfect Day’. It’s the sound of the outsiders marching to victory against the odds once again. As Pizzorno croons “This this one for the weirdos / One day we’ll be heroes”, the marginalised, the dreamers, and those who believe in building things up emerge from the shadows to regain humanity's innocence. For too long, those seeking to destroy have halted progression in all walks of life, but, with ‘Algorithms’ soul and the recent election in the UK, a turning point with hope looming has surfaced.

Where ‘Darkest Lullaby’ is the sound of ecstasy giving freedom on the dancefloor, the former single ‘Call’ is the sound of the devil enticing you to it. The colossal, dirty 00s breakbeat demanding your attention (“come on, make your move, there's nothing left to prove”) is followed by Pizzorno’s blissed-out Balearic vocals and keys, which put you through hyperspace and blow you out the other side a better person. ‘Coming Back to Me Good’ has a sun-kissed easiness and the tenderness of a friend nursing you through tough times and trips. Whereas ‘Hell of It’ leans into the bombastic riffs of ‘N.E.R.D’ and Roots before fading into a heavenly synth release. Together, they help build a band rediscovering its soul among people who are losing control, a realm in which Kasabian has always thrived.

On ‘G.O.A.T’ and ‘How Far Will You Go’, Kasabian remind everyone they are still the creative force we wondered they could be before the album's release. The former, diving into the dystopian beats of the debut and the heavy psyche guitars of ‘Empire’ to conjure the albums outstanding moment and Pizzorno’s finest vocal to date. As epic as Stranger Things and majestically warped as a Moon Duo solo aid the punk rock rhetoric well. As Pizzorno decrees “cause you know it’s true / You could be the greatest of all time”, a flurry of images ranging from Lydon to Strummer/Jones to Morrissey/Marr to Gallagher to Wire raising souls to be whoever the fuck they want to be is released to the world. ‘How Far Will You Go’ somehow manages to add layers to Kasabian’s more riotous catalogue. They summon a venomous firepower which conjures a world where Jamie T and Chuck D spit venom alongside Andrew Innes and the Stooges blasting a hole into the sun! Approach with caution!

Kasabian and Pizzorno, in particular, have rediscovered their working-class glory on this record. They’ve brought the obscure to the masses once again. Every track is a single, and every verse is a chorus. Intense but never overbearing, catchy but never trite, this is a tour de force of a record from a band written off. It’s not a comeback, but it’s going to dazzle the masses and quieten the chin-strokers!

Argh Kid – Riot

Manchester’s Argh Kid has been one of the shining breakthroughs in 2019. Less than a week after they released their debut EP ‘Derelict Dreams’, he returned with the explosive single ‘Riot’.

The raw power of Public Enemy combines with the Beastie Boys outlaw instincts to provide well timed assassination of government. As the visceral production takes hold, just consider, in 2 months, an unelected leader has lost 6 votes, 2 court cases, stated no custom checks in NI, stated there will be custom checks in NI, sacked members of his party, and dithered on about Jason Donovan. What a time to be alive!

Thankfully, leadership comes in many forms. UK spoken word artist Dave Scott (aka Argh Kid) has stepped up to the plate. His distinctive Mancunian vocals adopt venom of Jason Williamson and aggro yet melodic tones of Tom Meighan circa ‘Club Foot’.

Meanwhile, all around him a bassline throbs to echo down the ages. The guttural hook is soul shaking and, as Scott decrees “don’t believe the shite”, a breed of patriotism you can be proud of emerges. Not the bloated lunch on expenses, Churchill wannabee guff of Mark Francois!

Put simply UK Hip Hop hasn’t felt this vital since the early work of Kano and Dizzee Rascal. It’s pure, its violent and it’s working class intelligence from the gut!

Cellar Doors - Cellar Doors

San Francisco trio Cellar Doors release their self-titled debut album via the Spiritual Pyjamas label on the 15th February. They've played limited shows in the UK but, on this showing, like Melbourne's DMA's, its set to become their spiritual home.

In the digital age, the concept of the killer opening track has dissipated some what. Cellar Doors have revoked this notion on 'City Girl'. Combining Krautrock and the aggression of Kasabian's debut album, they have delivered a truly death defying piece rock n roll. Young listeners will see this as their moment, their release from boredom. Older rock n rollers, inevitably will be closing their eyes and reminiscing of their first summer of discovery to this hazy anthem.

They say timing is everything and, as Sex Education grips the world on Netflix, Cellar Doors coming of age debut appears right on cue. The danger of 'City Girl' conjures up images of Mauve's middle finger salute and the Velvet Underground tones of 'Pale Blue' should have sound tracked the Otis and Eric's relationship.

'In A Dream' also has those teenage hallmarks of escape. The racing energy of the Roses on 'She Bangs The Drums' emerges alongside the motorik of Neu and the distorted bliss of Jesus and Mary Chain. For fans of Creation Records and the spirit Alan McGee, this is indeed a dream.

There are moments of sublime pop majesty. 'Prism' sees singer Sean Fitzpatrick deliver an angelic Paul Weller vocal circa 'English Rose' vocal amid an eruption of Kasabian's 'Reason Is Treason'. The sex and danger of Fitzpatrick's guitar playing on 'Sirens' should hopefully banish the banal dross of Arctic Monkeys for good and, on 'Frost', they have an anthem for the ages. Complete with Depeche Mode's darkness, Neu's motorik, and the lightness of early John Squire guitar playing, 'Frost' is a haunting psychedelic pop behemoth.

Is the music industry capable of being taken over by the sound of angry poetic young men anymore? We're about to find out.

Kasabian - You're In Love With A Pyscho

Beats and psychedelia pumping out the stereo can mean only one thing, Kasabian are back!

Despite Trump and bitter confusion of Brexit, Kasabian had one hell of a 2016. They watched Leicester City do the unthinkable and Serge got married. The swelling of love in their circles was huge and has oozed seamlessly into this comeback single.

Kasabian’s affinity with Frankie Knuckles’ love drenched house continues as the teeth grinding beat marches on. However, when the bass and guitars chime in, it’s clear they are taking this in the direction of classic Talking Heads singles ‘Pyscho Killer’ and ‘This Must Be The Place’.

No Kasabian track is complete without masterly pieces pf psyche, synth and warped production and this is no different. They are spliced in with the funk of ESG’s ‘Bam Bam Jam’ and the bluesy trippyness of Primal Screams ‘Burning Wheel’.

Much like Primal Scream, Kasabian continue to be ambitious and experiment with clashing sub-cultures and pop music. Crucially, they mesh everything to make the latter, surface level alone, this is a bouncy sing-along, dig deeper and you’ll find many a hidden treasure.