Imperial shrinkage

Beyond all others, two words apply best in describing Kasabian's Empire. These words aren't original, or witty, or bold -- but they are nonetheless true. And, ultimately, this reviewer can only call 'em as he sees 'em. So, what are these two words? "Sophomore slump."\nLike a lot of British (and some American) indie-mainstream crossover bands of the noughties, Kasabian's self-titled debut album became a hit through heavily mining a much-loved earlier period of music. In Kasabian's case, this was the late 80's/early 90's "Madchester" scene. For those unfamiliar with Madchester, it was a musical movement based in Manchester, England that was characterized by a fusion of more straightforward rock/pop with the electronic dance beats and sampling of techno -- it also had a strongly psychedelic bend, influenced, as it was, by rave culture and the ingesting of loads and loads of ecstasy. Besides producing some great music, Madchester also turned out to be highly influential, laying the groundwork for the 90's Britpop explosion (which, in turn, influenced many of our modern bands). \nThus, a decade later, Kasabian decided to dust off the movement's sound and give it another spin, their own work borrowing liberally from Madchester's greatest bands -- The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and "Screamadelica"/"XTRMNTR"-era Primal Scream. The result wasn't terribly original or consistent, but it had enough good tunes to more than balance out the duff ones -- including the absolutely killer single, "Club Foot." Platinum sales and world tours followed, including a stint opening for the Rolling Stones.\nSo, what to do next? Unfortunately, Empire reveals that, like Wile E. Coyote in a minefield, Kasabian has managed to stumble into just about every standard trap that bedevils those bands who strike it big with album number-one. For starters, fearing, perhaps, that they would be forever known as the "Stone Mondays," \nKasabian has ventured further into the 90's for influences -- namely The Chemical Brothers and, to a lesser extent, Oasis. Given the vocal effects, big beats and production tidbits employed, the middle of Empire (from "Sun Rise Light Flies" to "Seek & Destroy") could well have been outtakes from the Chemicals' 1999 album Surrender. Meanwhile, Kasabian's least-successful attempt at branching-out, the acoustic "British Legion," demonstrates that the band doesn't have a Noel Gallagher on staff (at least, a Gallagher at his "Morning Glory" peak). At the same time, some songs are decidedly half-baked -- such as "Shoot The Runner," which is little more than a stomping "c'mon everyone, clap along" beat, the repetition of eye-rollingly banal lyrics and a guitar solo. And many others, such as "Stuntman," are indulgently overproduced, the result of a band going hogwild with the galaxy of effects that a big recording budget can buy.\nWorst of all, while this album has some good songs (particularly the title-song), none grab the listener with the same force as those on their debut. In this sense, Empire is less Augustan Rome and more pre-World War I Austro-Hungary.