Kaiser Chiefs

When Kaiser Chiefs released their début album ‘Employment’, I found their music greatly enjoyable. When their second album ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ was released on the other hand, I was actually dreading listening to it having heard and hated first single ‘Ruby’. I wanted to like the album, I truly did, but I just didn’t see it happening as you usually find it to be the case that the first single released from an album is more or less the strongest track. When ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ was released I made sure I listened to it, forced myself to listen to it even; it came as no surprise to me however that I was not liking what I was hearing. The album actually begins with ‘Ruby’, the one track I was least looking forward to hearing having already established that it was not of any appeal to me. When first listening to the album I quickly skipped past ‘Ruby’ as listening to it again was really not something that I wanted to endure.

After first track ‘Ruby’ is out of the way, up next is ‘The Angry Mob’. As the track begins, it reminds me of ‘Bright Idea’ by Orson. The build up is almost identical in fact, and given that Orson’s ‘Bright Idea’ probably appeals to me even less than ‘Ruby’, a track that resembled it so heavily to begin with was never going to go down too well with me. Thankfully, the opening and the occasional guitar riff here and there is the only thing that resembles the Orson track however and for the most part the track is very much their own. Sadly however, the track is hideously tiresome and listening to Kaiser Chiefs front man Ricky Wilson’s droning voice here is not exactly what I would class as entertainment. Whilst in ‘Employment’, the vocals were always injected with a great deal of enthusiasm, there is no such energy at all here and this lacklustre offering is therefore not really worth listening to at all.

Third track ‘Heat Dies Down’ is the first moment where the album begins to show any real signs of being any good. Kaiser Chiefs are here far from their best, however nonetheless the track is interesting and most of all entertaining. I really like listening to this one, and with it’s bouncy edge and Pop appeal is definitely a track which is well worth listening to. Next track ‘Highroyds’ starts off promisingly also with a fun introduction which suggests it will be another energetic piece of music. The energy is sadly short lived and once more the band return to mid-paced mediocrity. ‘Mediocre’ and ‘Average’ are the words that spring to mind first and foremost when I think of this album as a whole in fact, something which makes me wonder if the band themselves are even well aware of given that they have named one of the tracks here ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’.

Although not a lot stands out about this album, one thing I will say is that the single ‘Love’s Not A Competition (But I’m Winning)’ shows some great unfulfilled potential. The music is sadly devoid of any real sense of life, however the chorus is undeniably catchy and will no doubt have you singing along in no time. It is an interesting one how a band can have such an infectious chorus yet still be so deadly dull but there you go. One of the things I find most amusing about ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ is the fact that the aforementioned track with the title ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’ is probably one of the best from the album. Whilst ‘Average’ nicely sums up the album as a whole, the track itself is probably one of the only really slightly appealing songs present other than ‘Heat Dies Down’. Whilst the track I feel is still somewhat lacking in energy, this does not stop it from being amongst the best; it’s still average, just a little less so than the vast majority here.

Would I recommend this album to anyone? Not unless you have difficulties sleeping at night. The album has little use other than boring the listener and potentially sending them to sleep if they’re lucky. There are a few signs of promise during the albums thirteen track duration, but not nearly enough to keep a listener interested and intrigued as to what track will potentially come next. There is simply not enough variety here; the lyrics are poor, the vocals tiresome, and the instruments uninspired. Whilst I was a big fan of the first album from the Kaiser Chiefs, if they are ever to release another album the chances are that I shan’t be giving it a listen. ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ is an album to avoid.

Label: B-Unique
Release Date: 26th February 2007

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When Kaiser Chiefs burst onto the UK music scene back in 2005 I found their music intriguing and the band themselves energetic and exciting. Their début album pleased me massively and was perhaps one of my favourite albums of 2005, most certainly the best début album I’d heard in a long while. Fast-forward to 2007 and the Kaiser Chiefs are onto album number two, only now without the flair and energy that made them so successful when they first emerged. Their sophomore effort ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ I found to be a huge disappointment, and whilst listening found myself drifting off all too easily. ‘Love’s Not A Competition (But I’m Winning)’ was the fourth single to be lifted from the bands second album and is an ‘interesting’ one to say the least. With keyboards throughout likening the sound to that of Coldplay, the music of Kaiser Chiefs is here completely empty and devoid of any real sense of life. Whilst the chorus is catchy enough and will no doubt have you singing along as was always the case with their tracks, there just seems to be something missing here and the track therefore never really gets going. Whilst Kaiser Chiefs once possessed a great deal of energy, their music now embodies nothing more than complete emptiness.

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With a single title like ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’, you have to wonder if the band were being ironic when they came up with the title. There’s nothing special at all about this one, and on a scale of 1 to 10 I’d say it would most definitely get an ‘Average’. Although of a similar styling to the singles on their previous album ‘Employment’, there is just something lacking about this one, with the track failing to ever remain in the memory for long. It truly is a lackluster offering from a band that only 2 years ago released an album packed full of catchy and interesting tracks. Thing’s go from bad to worse when we get to B-Side ‘Out Of My Depth’ which has to be one of the most boring tracks I’ve heard in a long while. It’s hard to imagine the band writing this one and sitting down collectively thinking ‘Yeah, this is a good one’, or perhaps they didn’t and thats why its been lazily pushed aside as a B-Side. I suppose with an A-Side as dull as ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’, the B-Side was never going to be up to much and all we can be is thankful that the track was not any worse than it is. All things considered, things seem to be going from bad to worse for the Kaiser Chiefs and as far as I can see, the band will be incredibly lucky if they live to see the release of a third studio album as their popularity rapidly declines and decays.

Label: B-Unique
Release Date: 21st May 2007

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Having enjoyed the Kaiser Chiefs ‘Employment’ album of 2005, I had been looking forward to their return and it is with much regret therefore that I have to say that their latest offering has left me extremely disappointed. While the Kaiser Chiefs previous singles have always been upbeat and fun, ‘Ruby’ is a generic, clichéd and extremely dull track that I just can’t seem to get in to. Having listened to it numerous times now on the off chance that this would be a grower, I have found that ‘Ruby’ really is as lacklustre and uninspiring as I first thought. Plodding along without ever really getting going, ‘Ruby’ is a track where the contemplation of ever possibly releasing this as a single should not have taken place. It is usually the case that the first single to be taken from an album of this sort is one of the strongest if not the strongest track on the album, however if ‘Ruby’ is the strongest track on the Kaiser Chiefs album which is to be released February 26th then the band have got some serious problems.

Label: B-Unique
Release Date: 19th February 2007

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‘I Predict A Riot’ was originally released last Autumn, however it was only given a very limited release so wasn’t the commercial success that proceeding singles ‘Oh My God’ and ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’ were. Thus, the band has re-released this single and I am sure that this time round the single will do just as well as the others as it is a great song and certainly one of their best efforts from debut album ‘Employment.’ This is another stormer of a track which has brilliantly formed verses and an ever catchy chorus which is sure to help it take the charts by storm next Sunday. This single is being released as a double A-side with the prestigious live favourite ‘Sink That Ship’ aiming to accompany ‘I Predict A Riot’ to chart success.

Label: B-Unique Recordings
Release Date: August 22nd 2005

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I’m pretty sure you’ve all heard of this band by now so they don’t really need much of an introduction. Fresh off the releases of ‘Oh My God’ and ‘I Predict a Riot,’ Kaiser Chiefs bring you the amazing ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’ and as ever – it is a catchy little piece of musical excellence. Ok, so what can I say about this single really? It’s another great track from the Kaiser Chiefs and is sure to be in the charts this Sunday fairly high I’m thinking. I predicted that ‘Oh My God’ would enter the charts highly a few months back, and it did so hopefully my predictions will again be correct.

This band just seems to go from strength to strength, every track is truly magical and the band could easily release every single track off their album and do well with all of them. I really can’t get enough of this band at the moment and I hope that they will be around for many years to come. Keep the good tracks coming Kaiser Chiefs, the mainstream desperately need a band like you keeping the airwaves fresh and exciting with a definite zest for life.

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The Kaiser Chiefs are a fast growing band from Leeds, and I am sure that by now you have all heard of this amazing band. This album was released last Monday and the chances are that by the end of the day, it is going to be the official album chart Number 1, or failing that is going to be at least Number 2. This album takes heavy influence from the Britpop scene, as well as borrowing heavily from the Madness, and having incredible pop sensibilities. They have truly produced an album of anthems in ‘Employment’ and not single one of the tracks on display here sounds out of place, or isn’t single release worthy.

Right from the very start with champion track ‘Everyday I Love You Less And Less’ you know that this album is going to be an absolute blinder. This gives the album a truly electrifying start, and from this initial buzz the band just seems to go from strength to strength. The band cruise through the already released singles ‘I Predict A Riot’ and ‘Oh My God’ as well as banging out a whole batch of other beauties. ‘Na Na Na Na Naa’ is a really fine song with a chorus that you will be singing along to all week. It really is a modern day classic and wont be leaving your head for weeks, perhaps months to come after you listen to it.

Tracks ‘You Can Have It All’ and ‘Caroline, Yes’ take on a very different approach to the songs that the band have already released as singles, however are still amazing in their own right. For what these tracks are, they are incredible – and although they may disappoint some people looking for an album of drunken sing along track like ‘Oh My God,’ I’m sure that a lot of people will find great enjoyment and understanding in these tracks. After all, if the whole album sounded the same then it really wouldn’t be as interesting as it is and would definitely get really tedious after a while.

In ‘Employment,’ the Kaiser Chiefs have produced a truly fine album that will surely be seen as one of the releases of 2005. This was a highly anticipated album, and does not disappoint – the hype that this album received was understandably so as it truly is a masterful CD. It may not be perfect, but there are a lot of truly fine songs on display on this album and it’s definitely not the sort of album that you’re going to be forgetting in a hurry. Buy this album now if you haven’t done so already – I promise you will not be disappointed with what you find.

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I believe the band released single last May through Drowned In Sound, but February 21st 2005 sees the band re-release this thunderous track through B-Unique. It’s impossible not to like this track – it’s just such an awesome single and will almost certainly give their fan base a huge boost. Kaiser Chiefs have always been a great band on the underground circuit and seem to be finally about to make their mark properly on the UK commercial music scene.

This track works really well, and is just one of those songs that even from the first time you hear it you consider it to be a classic. With its catchiness, fun beat, and awesome vocals this track is sure to have you hooked. I can see this song doing really well in the charts as it is one of those songs that you will be humming for the rest of the day after listening to it and everyone will ask what you’re singing. This track has excruciatingly good lyrics, and once you hear this track, never again will you forget the line ‘Oh my god I can’t believe it, I’ve never been this far away from home.’ This tune will have that line permanently drummed into your head and every time you think of it, it will bring a smile to your face.

There is inevitably going to be a Kaiser Chiefs movement this year where everyone will be claiming that they were into them before they got huge but it really doesn’t matter. The fact is, you will fall in love from the first moment you hear this band so whenever it was that you first heard them it doesn’t matter – everyone will have in common the love of Kaiser Chiefs from first listen. This track will almost certainly enter the top 10 when it is released next month and if it doesn’t then there is quite frankly no justice in the world when week after week acts such as McFly are getting in there.

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