Empire (2006)

Like former tourmates Oasis, Kasabian are fond of both picking fights with other artists (the Strokes, Pete Doherty) and expressing appreciation for their own genius. Obnoxious? Sure, but there is a certain genius to how cannily they combine elements of the past — the trippy danceability of Primal Scream, the poetic atmospherics of the Stone Roses, the foot-stomping energy of sports-stadium chants — into an unoriginal but enjoyable whole. Empire's swaggering decadence is tiresome near the end, but in smaller doses it's undeniable fun.