With every new album, Kasabian made significant leaps in terms of maturity, sound and quality. Empire saw an evolution from their self-titled debut and West Ryder… was itself another big, brilliant jump which saw Dan The Automator polish their electro-rock sound. Velociraptor! sees them pick up from West Ryder, not just in terms of sound but with an increased confidence to try new things like synth-pop and some sophisticated Beatles’ mimicry.
But it falls a bit flat for me. “Days Are Forgotten” is Kasabian at their best —with a breathtaking video by AB/CD/CD— and it would make for a perfect Bond theme song. It’s not a bad album actually, but I find myself skipping too many tracks. I guess I was expecting another musical leap which didn’t quite happen.