Happenings (Kasabian album)
2024 studio album by Kasabian
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Happenings is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Kasabian. It was released on 5 July 2024 through Sony Music.
| Happenings | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 July 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2022 – 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 28:00 | |||
| Label | Sony | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Kasabian chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Happenings | ||||
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Background and singles
Kasabian announced Happenings on 5 December 2023, shortly after recording wrapped with two days left for the mixing process. Inspired by gigs of 1960s psychedelic bands, it was said to be a "joyous" album filled with "big tunes". The band started recording while they were touring their previous record The Alchemist's Euphoria in late 2022.[3] The album release on 5 July 2024 will coincide with their homecoming headline show at Victoria Park, Leicester on 6 July.[4]
The lead single "Algorithms", a commentary on the emergence of artificial intelligence, was released on 16 June 2023, more than a year ahead of the album release.[5] "Call" was released as the second single on 21 February 2024, a song the band referred to as "dance music".[6] On 12 April, they released the "summer-ready" "Coming Back to Me Good" in the form "of a short and sweet anthem" with a "disco drive" but also moments of "togetherness", according to Serge Pizzorno.[7]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Arts Desk |   [9] |
| Clash | 7/10[10] |
| The Guardian | [11] |
| The Independent | [12] |
| Louder Than War | 4/5[13] |
| MusicOMH | [14] |
| NME | [15] |
| The Observer | [16] |
| The Telegraph | [17] |
Happenings received a score of 74 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 13 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[8] Mojo felt that "short it may be, but Happenings is full of ideas".[18]
The album's production was acclaimed; Neil McCormick of The Telegraph applauded the band's continuation of their pop sound.[19] Robin Murray of Clash praised the songwriting and new direction,[20] while Phil Mongredien of The Guardian said that "with Meighan gone, Happenings does at times sound like the work of a band struggling with an identity crisis and consequently cosplaying some of their peers".[21]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Serge Pizzorno.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Darkest Lullaby" | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Call" | 2:30 |
| 3. | "How Far Will You Go" | 1:49 |
| 4. | "Coming Back to Me Good" | 2:49 |
| 5. | "G.O.A.T" | 3:07 |
| 6. | "Passengers" | 2:50 |
| 7. | "Hell of It" | 3:23 |
| 8. | "Italian Horror" | 2:35 |
| 9. | "Bird in a Cage" | 2:38 |
| 10. | "Algorithms" | 3:09 |
| Total length: | 28:00 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Coming Back to Me Good" (Acoustic Version) | 2:29 |
| Total length: | 31:34 | |
Notes
- Physical editions include a short introductory instrumental track, "Happenings".
Personnel
Kasabian
- Chris Edwards – bass guitar, background vocals
- Tim Carter – guitars, piano, bass guitar, drum production, background vocals, keyboards, additional production
- Ian Matthews – drums, percussion, piano
- Sergio Pizzorno – lead vocals, guitars, bass guitar, drum production, Mellotron, piano, synthesizers
Additional contributors
- Mark Ralph – production, mixing, programming
- Matt Colton – mastering
- Rob Harvey – background vocals on "Call", "How Far Will You Go", and "Passengers"
Charts
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[23] | 147 |
| Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[24] | 40 |
| Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[25] | 64 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[26] | 1 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] | 90 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[28] | 1 |