The first half had me worried. A little too much ’60’s psychedelia and nostalgia for my tastes perhaps? With the exception of stellar single “Days Are Forgotten”, the first half of Kasabian’s fourth album, Velociraptor!, falls short of the high expectations I set for this band.
Velociraptor! doesn’t come alive for me until act two. From the moment the title track hits halfway through the disc, I’m sold. Tom Meighan spits lyrics in rapid fire succession until the wide open sing-a-long chorus (“Velociraptor!/He’s gonna find ya/He’s gonna kill ya/He’s gonna eat ya”) and then I remember why I’ve loved this band since their self-titled debut.
To keep the ball rolling, “Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From The Storm)” keeps the psychedelia going but with a Middle Eastern tinged drum ‘n bass spin. “I Hear Voices” is the electro Kasabian I crave. That said, when I first heard the magnificent drone of “Switchblade Smiles” in June, I couldn’t wait until Velociraptor! was released.
As far as fourth album’s go, Velociraptor! is tops. Guitarist and chief songwriter Sergio Pizzorno continues to push the envelope and the musical boundaries of Kasabian on each and every album and it’s done wonders for them so far. Add production duties handled by Dan The Automator and it’s no wonder that Kasabian are going to keep standing out from the pack.
Velociraptor! is out now.
Grade: B