Kasabian - 'Empire' (Columbia) Released 28/08/06

We've been here before you know. A group of northern (ish) working class lads rock up on the scene, proclaiming themselves as the saviours of rock and roll, pouring scorn on other, more "cultured" artists before declaring themselves the "band of the people", the mantle left unclaimed since the days when Noel Gallagher could write a decent tune. First emerging two years ago, Kasabian have been busy in trying to convince the world that they are the natural heirs to Oasis, that they alone can be the rock and roll stars so many feel we lack these days, for all the Arctic Monkeys' working class wit and the cliched self destruction of Pete Doherty.

While the first time around they delivered an album that was at best patchy (a few cracking singles and a lot of what Serge Pizzorno recently described as "sketchy nonsense"), the pre-release hype machine has been working overtime in the lead-up to 'Empire', with the clever tactic employed of not making the title track and lead-off single available for radio airplay until the day of its release. The proclamations from the band of the album's greatness, in an era where so few "great" albums are made, make it impossible not to judge this record by the highest possible standards. So, we have to ask, are we about to witness the rise or fall of 'Empire'?

The record indeed kicks off with the title track, which has now been heavily rotated across the airwaves (having initially been denied access, radio stations seemed keen to make up for lost time). Marc Bolan and T-Rex have been a reference point in many interviews with Serge and singer Tom Meighan, and there is certainly a glam stomp to the throbbing bassline that introduces 'Empire', and as the stadium filling chorus brings the people home, you can almost picture Meighan's messiah posturing as he sings that "we're all wasting away". Is it worth the aggravation indeed?

'Shoot The Runner' has a Glitter-esque rhythm to it at the stage, before departing east midway through for somewhere exotic. It's at this point in the album the psychedelic flourishes really start coming to the fore, with 'Last Trip In Flight' and 'Me Plus One' showing that the pills have been out for the summer. The beats are less uniform here than they were with 'Kasabian' and far more subtle in their use. They have still retained some of their influences however; that first record wore its devotion to 'XTRMNTR'-era Primal Scream on its sleeve and Bobby Gillespie could have something to say about the similarity between 'Sun/Rise/Light/Flies' and the Scream's 'Shoot Speed Kill Light'.

Imitation is said however to be a form of flattery, and five tracks in it's pretty good stuff. 'Apnoea' brings the  quality control down somewhat however, a techno-by-numbers effort that should never have made it onto the record, though 'By My Side' and 'Stuntman' are much better, demonstrating the band's dancefloor remix potential. The record ends strongly, with Pizzorno making his vocal debut on the Bowie-esque 'British Legion', an acoustic ballad that showcases his surprisingly soft singing voice. This is followed by final track 'The Doberman', the song that has been causing the most excitement among the Kasabian community and whose resounding guitars, multi-tracked harmonies and brass section provide an explosive finale.

As you would expect with a band keen to mouth off at any given opportunity, Kasabian walk the line between adoration and derision. However, even the band's most fervent haters could not deny the ambition of this record, and for the most part they have pulled it off.