Oh my God.. oh my God… With their first record they impressed critics and music lovers and shaked up the brit-pop; after the outcome of disappointing Escare, i forgot their name; but the new album… OMG!
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is like a rock album should be made: some hits, some piece that makes you lose yourself on the dancefloor and a ballad that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
But now let’s start from the title: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum refers to an historical insane asylum founded in 1818 in the Yorkshire. In fact this album is like an Asylum where you can find everything.
The Kasabian exceded!
Scraggy riff and warm drums, “Kill me if you dare/ Hold my head up everywhere/ Keep myself right on this train”: that’s the first song Underdog.
Where did all the love go? it’s a very nice episode, but is too much inspired by Gorillaz sound (compare it with Feel Good Inc.). That’s no wonder if you think of the producer being Dan “the Automator” Nakamura from Gorillaz!
The next track Swarfiga is the most controversial one. Only 2 minutes of experimental electro is just a little more than an interlude, but not a real song… mumble mumble… it perplexes me totally!
Fast fuse is a bomb! “Come get me / All you people can’t touch me /
I’m a hooligan cry, shy, sit down tight, / It don’t matter / give me one, two, three / come light in the skylight / come light me in the sky”, while in Take him the beat slows down and the sound becomes “gallagherian” .
The next Thick as thieves changes one more time the ambience, like a soundtrack, using messican strings.
Days drift into one / It’s so pretty / Travelling we’ll burys Polly’s photofits / And this stolen car / Is loaded with junk / It’s so dirty / He’ll be the death of me / But that’s ok wrote Mr. Pizzorno in the West Rider Silver Bullet which called the actress Rosario Dawson for a performance in this psychedelic song.
Vlad The Impaler is my favorite track: hammering bass, strong beat and lyrics deal with the cruel impalement used by Vlad II: You can’t miss me I’m still alive / Snake skin shoes I’m pleading omicide / Come on and feel this I’m still alive / Joker meet you on the other side.
After this adrenaline overdose, the ballad Ladies and Gentlemen fits perfectly in the album (No matter what you do, you know / The world it keeps on turning /
We never feel a thing / Come on and meet me at the Carnival). It seems a perfect end for this masterwork, but like I said bifore, Kasabian exceeded and there are other 3 songs as well: Secret alphabet, Happiness but, above all, the single Fire!
“Shake me into the night and I’m an easy lover / Take me into the fight and I’m an easy brother / And I’m on fire”
Impossibile to stay fixed in place listening this hit!
I have never been a Kasabian’s fan, but this album is something special, as honest tribute to 90’s and obviously to England.
I bet you definitely felt the bad need of freedom at least once in your life! This is what unites us, the Indie Libertines, who are out of any frames and are creating just what they feel and as they feel. Indie is independent, different, free and creative! Indie have their own music=indie music. Indie music is underground music comprosed of bands who are being recorded in independent, indie lables. Indie is not only about music but anything, it is all about lifestyle. Anybody can be indie but first thing is to free your mind and create!
If you want to do it with us join the Indie movement in Armenia and stay tuned about the latest developments!
