Bringing dance-rock beats to mainstream Britain, Kasabian’s 2004 debut contained such an array of soundtrack-friendly riffs that they could probably live off the royalties for years. You might expect more of the same from this follow-up, then, and true, the bombastic beats and chant-along choruses are still in place, now with an added glam-rock stomp. But there are also some impressively fresh ideas lurking between the anthemic bits. The trad-rockier end of their audience may be surprised to hear Kraftwerkian keys (”Stunktman”), Moroccan string and mariachi trumpets (various), bold tempo changes (”Empire,” “By My Side”), and what sounds like a full-on drum-clattering Chemical Brothers workout (”Apnea”). The latter, all 1:45 of it, is the swiftest rush on a record that shouldn’t tire anyone’s patience – 11 cuts that effectively hurtle in, change direction a few times, then leave, Kasabian, by contrast, may just be sticking around a while longer.

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