Released: July 5
Leaning into the live experience, Kasabian’s eighth studio album sees the band at its most confident as the rockers master the art of the three-minute single.
The second album featuring the current line-up of the group, fronted by Serge Pizzorno, it’s a confident outing that leans into the energy of the full-band setup while allowing its leader space to experiment creatively.
Lead single Call sets the tone, with a popping synth riff and vocal chants underpinning an overarching groove that, according to the musician, was a “launchpad” for the project. “Quieter on the verses, loud for the chorus – it’s dance music,” he says. “The first bit is where you get ready, the second bit is where we all go crazy. It’s really fun and just feels like now. When I finished the track, I felt I wanted to go to a gig by whoever was behind it.
“Everything for this album was informed by that way of working,” he elaborates, with opener Darkest Lullaby juxtaposing the heartbreaking devastation of its lyrics with an infectious beat made for moving to and Coming Back To Me Good channeling an innate optimism in a rallying call for unity.
The togetherness of the concert setting that inspired the project frequently seeps into its lyrics, with G.O.A.T. an anthem for living authentically and facing everyday life on one’s own terms, written with the singer-songwriter’s kids in mind, while sonically the album is heavy with distorted vocals, notably on a second half that boasts gems like the swaggering Hell Of It and poetic, mid-tempo Bird In A Cage, both of which push the group’s sound forward while maintaining the essence of Kasabian’s past recordings.
Closing number Algorithms is another reflective number that celebrates living in the moment and embracing the short time we all have on earth, in a narrative that juxtaposes the machines that dictate our everyday lives with the strength of human connection.
Across ‘Happenings’ are a multitude of ideas – some typical to the group, others strikingly fresh – making for a 10-song collection that takes a number of twists and turns with the band as the constant through-line. It’s not Kasabian’s most cohesive work, but within it lies plenty of strong, standalone moments worth revisiting.
