Kasabian

First they take their name from a former Charles Manson adherent, now they title their third album after a shuttered psychiatric hospital. It's safe to say Kasabian have a taste for the unhinged, giving their "psych rock" a new meaning. The band has always echoed retro Brit rock, and here it's more evident than ever: Subtle woodwinds, lazy horns, acoustic pickin', warbly electric guitars and ghostly coos point heavily to Floyd ("West Ryder Silver Bullet"), while upbeat, cockney-inflected tracks ("Where Did All the Love Go?", "Thick as Thieves") sound like the Beatles filtered through Oasis.

This big-at-home U.K. band — which has cheekily avowed its own genius and been
nominated for a Mercury Prize — calls its third album a "soundtrack to an imaginary movie."
With help from producer Dan the Automator, Kasabian cook up electro-tinged fuzz rock,
druggy club music and tricked-out Brit pop. After being impressed by details such as the
Middle Eastern violin on "Take Aim," you'll wonder where the tunes are: Sergio P... More >