IN REVIEW: Kasabian - "The Alchemist's Euphoria"

 

Months into the pandemic, Tom Meighan left Kasabian before admitting to committing spousal abuse; he didn't contribute anything but vocals to the band anyway, so good riddance. Still, his departure forced the hand of Sergio Pizzorno, the band's guitarist and sole songwriter. Faced with the possibility of having to disband Kasabian, Pizzorno instead chose to continue while also assuming Meighan's former role as vocalist.

The first results of this decision are manifested in The Alchemist's Euphoria, Kasabian's seventh album and first in five years; the prolonged gap between albums and the change up front mark The Alchemist's Euphoria as an album ripe for branching out the group's sound, and that's exactly what Pizzorno does. There isn't much here that calls to mind past achievements, however; ALYGATYR, the lead single and the song Pizzorno described as the bridge between old and new Kasabian, feels less like a relative of past releases and more like a distant friend of the family who only stops by for parties. It's got energy, but Pizzorno's voice undergoes heavy manipulation through reverb, auto-tune and other assorted effects. 

Opening track ALCHEMIST sets the stage in subtle fashion, with lush instrumentation and tasteful beats while Pizzorno croons about the process of overcoming doubt and fear. SCRIPTVRE feels somewhat closer to bangers of Kasabian past, Pizzorno employing a boastful delivery during the verses before the song gives way to an emotionally stirring, somewhat majestic second half. ROCKET FUEL amps up the intensity with its frenetic, rave-inspired build up before inexplicably dropping the tempo; it's an awkward transition that works against the song, but at least it's not afraid to tear itself down and start over. STRICTLY OLD SKOOL sounds like proper radio fodder, with its easy going beat, gentle melody and pitchshifted vocal flourishes; it's seemingly engineered to be easily digestible compared to what came before and, while it's not a bad tune, I could have gone for a little more punch on its chorus.

The album's second half stretches the sonics out, adding more psychedelic touches and allowing the songs a bit more breathing room; THE WALL is a prime example, a slowly unfurling power ballad that makes sense as a single thanks to its gentle progression and strong hook. It's followed by T.U.E., which arrives with an off-kilter skittering instrumental and reveals itself as a weirdly effective cross between, say, acid trip Beatles and the Chemical Brothers. As the longest song on the album, this one takes its time and adds elements as it goes, aiming for a groovy trance and more or less hitting the mark, although I would have preferred an explosion of energy on its back end rather than its sudden transformation into a slow jam. The energy threatens to return on STARGAZR, whose distorted beat accompanies another spacey vocal delivery; the tension builds appropriately toward the song's conclusion, but we're again denied the payoff we could practically taste as the song peters out.

CHEMICALS is peppier, more rock-oriented fare, and feels like an outlier in its relative straightforward nature; it's perhaps the album's most hit-ready moment, with its hopeful tones and sharp hooks. This leads to a short interlude and then album closer LETTING GO, which ends things on a predictably quiet and reflective note; a simple acoustic ballad with minimal effects thrown in toward its conclusion, it finds Pizzorno offering a message of hope and redemption that makes for a cute sentiment but a rather slight ending for an album this versatile.

For a group that built their empire (pun intended) on high octane dance rock, The Alchemist's Euphoria is a ballsy departure, getting its most energetic moments out of the way early before leaving their established sound in the dust in favour of more expansive, thoughtful material. That's not wrong of them to do, but I wonder if it was necessary for Kasabian to alter their sonic trajectory this heavily considering all they've lost was the guy who sang the words Pizzorno wrote for him in the first place. It's an admirable enough effort, albeit one that feels a little deflated in parts and is perhaps more concerned with severing ties with the past than forging a path into the future.

August 12, 2022 • Sony UK
Highlights SCRIPTVRE • T.U.E. • CHEMICALS