A bona-fide sensation in the U.K. and now the subject of a major push in the U.S., Leicester, England's Kasabian [ tickets ] brought its show to SXSW for a Friday night (3/19) showcase at Stubb's.

Should we believe the hype? Not yet. Kasabian's problem in concert is the same as on its self-titled debut album: there simply aren't enough good songs to justify the kudos.

True, lead single "Club Foot" is a solid track, with a driving bottom end and a catchy hook. But the band has a problem replicating that success. Many of its other tracks have a kind of junk food quality: while they'll initially grab you, they're ultimately unmemorable. The band draws heavily from the Brit-pop acts of the late '80s, and really doesn't seem to be making much of an effort to put its own stamp on the sound.

Similar problems mar the band's live performance; it feels like frontman Tom Meighan's rockstar moves--lots that were patented by Mick Jagger almost 40 years ago--are more studied than sincere. And overall, the band doesn't seem interested in making much of a connection with its audience.

If it can replicate the promise of "Club Foot," Kasabian could very well evolve into something special, but, given its early, disproportionate success at home, an early flameout seems a more likely scenario.