There’s something about this album that makes it a compelling listen. Maybe it’s that, after three records, Kasabian have finally made a record that can afford to do the talking, instead of the band themselves; an album that matches the high opinion the band (and more specifically, Tom Meighan and Serge Pizzorno) have of their music. All the boasting and bragging the pair have become (in)famous for has finally paid off. ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ displayed a band who were getting there, but ‘Velociraptor!’ confirms, without a shadow of a doubt, that Kasabian deserve to be taken seriously.

A mile away from the shout-along lad rock of their debut, this album finds its roots in neo-psychedelica; the soaring opening pair of ‘Let’s Roll Just Like We Used To’ and lead single ‘Days Are Forgotten’ show that the band have stepped up their game considerably, adopting more expansive and cinematic arrangements. Speaking of which, ‘La Fee Verte’ sounds like it could fit into a James Bond film with little difficulty.

‘Switchblade Smiles’ resides at the other end of the scale, the closest thing (relatively speaking) to their older material, but its contrast with songs like the Kraftwerk-esque ‘I Hear Voices’ and the delightfully strange, Eastern-influenced ‘Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From the Storm) works in its favour, displaying how the adventurous band’s ambition have come to full fruition. This is a dazzling and diverse listen that is easily the finest album (both as a complete work and a collection of songs) Kasabian have released to date. [GO’M]

Switchblade Smiles by kasabian