If like me you're finding there's just a few too many polite and predictable bands around on the radio at the moment, the return of Kasabian will come as a welcome relief.
From the outset these guys have had a swagger about them, carrying all before them on their naturally self-titled debut album. And here they are again, kicking up a storm but moving on a significant step from where that record left off. Empire blunders into view rather, starting like a cousin of Reason Is Treason but soon taking on more ambitious territory. A middle eight of pure rock, where "we're all wasting away", sounds like a glam stomper for a crowded dancefloor with its beefed up bass.
And then, just when it could go off the rails, the massive chorus hits, Moroccan in flavour with its accompanying melodic inflections, but irrefutably Kasabian in its bruising beats and big, reverb dressed vocals. With an anti-war video to boot, they've also unwittingly tapped into the current political climate. This forceful, take-no-prisoners number bodes extremely well for their forthcoming second album, and proves again their confidence is in no way misplaced.
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