Hot on the heels of The Killers and The Bravery comes Yorkshire's own Kaiser Chiefs, of which much has already been written about their plundering of the Britpop back catalogue, but who are still very worthy of the attention being granted them in the media.
Last year's infectious single I Predict A Riot placed the Kaiser's firmly on the musical map, thanks in no small part to Zane Lowe's endorsement, on whose show I first heard them several months ago, and the follow up Oh My God has seen them grace Top Of The Pops (though not the honour it was years ago, still an important promotional platform) and kick their way into the living rooms of the nation.
Their debut album Employment has now hit the racks, and it's put up or shut up time for the band as to whether they truly can claim to be in the same league as the aforementioned Las Vegas and New York natives.
Opening with Everyday I Love You Less And Less, the Kaiser's sound exactly how you'd imagine Dirt Wears White Sox era Adam & The Ants would have sounded if Vince Clark had joined them instead of forming Depeche Mode. Vocalist Ricky Wilson is at times very reminiscent of a young Stuart Goddard, and with the rest of the band joining in with harmonies straight from the Kings Of The Wild Frontier songbook it's like the early 80s never went away.
A strong hook in the chorus bodes well for the album as it gives way into I Predict A Riot, with its' vaguely Specials overtones and surely the only song in recent memory to use the word 'thee' in the lyrics. By now we're getting the picture that the Kaiser Chiefs are the successors to the witty British lyric throne that Blur have long since abdicated, after themselves succeeding Madness.
Modern Way follows, with Wilson giving his best monotone Gary Numan-esque delivery over a steady bass heartbeat before coming across all Damon Albarn in the chorus to great effect. In fact, this could have been a Blur track once upon a time, but Nick 'Peanut' Baines's electro-bleepy keyboards lift it above anything that Blur produced in their prime.
Joining the ranks of The Police, Bad Manners and Trio in the league of nonsensical song titles, Na Na Na Naa is an up-tempo romp that currently does the honours as their live set opener, and is the tune that Noel Gallagher should have written for Definitely Maybe instead of Digsy's Dinner, though Liam could never have conjured up the sense of fun that Wilson brings to the song.
You Can Have It All is what Madness would have sounded like performing one of their more introspective numbers with Terry Hall on vocals. It's one of a couple of fillers on the album, but does have its' merits.
Current single Oh My God wouldn't have sounded out of place on one of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' earlier albums, stomping its' way out of the speakers and all over your front room carpet, while Born To Be A Dancer's chorus is one of those that will lodge itself in your brain and declare squatter's rights, simultaneously coming across all pomp and melodrama while being reminiscent of Weezer's Buddy Holly in places.
Saturday Night sounds exactly like a song called Saturday Night should sound, big and brash and full of attitude - "we're going to hell anyway, let's travel first class". What Did I Ever Give To You is a return to Terry Hall territory, more Colourfield than Specials but none the worse for it.
The Adam & The Ants influence comes back with a vengeance in Time Honoured Tradition which conjures up images of young men in pirate outfits swigging ale from large tankards to the strains of Marco Pirroni's distinctive guitar sound.
The album runs out of steam slightly on the last two tracks, Caroline Yes and Team Mate, going out with a whimper rather than a bang. Both are decent tracks, but it would have been nice to go out in the blaze of glory of glory suggested by the rest of the album. Rather than riding off into the sunset, we're carted off in the back of a police van to Leeds gaol.
Overall, though, the Kaiser Chiefs have produced a debut album that they can be proud of, and while with this Employment they may not be in line for a big promotion just yet, they're a long way from their P45s.
Last year's infectious single I Predict A Riot placed the Kaiser's firmly on the musical map, thanks in no small part to Zane Lowe's endorsement, on whose show I first heard them several months ago, and the follow up Oh My God has seen them grace Top Of The Pops (though not the honour it was years ago, still an important promotional platform) and kick their way into the living rooms of the nation.
Their debut album Employment has now hit the racks, and it's put up or shut up time for the band as to whether they truly can claim to be in the same league as the aforementioned Las Vegas and New York natives.
Opening with Everyday I Love You Less And Less, the Kaiser's sound exactly how you'd imagine Dirt Wears White Sox era Adam & The Ants would have sounded if Vince Clark had joined them instead of forming Depeche Mode. Vocalist Ricky Wilson is at times very reminiscent of a young Stuart Goddard, and with the rest of the band joining in with harmonies straight from the Kings Of The Wild Frontier songbook it's like the early 80s never went away.
A strong hook in the chorus bodes well for the album as it gives way into I Predict A Riot, with its' vaguely Specials overtones and surely the only song in recent memory to use the word 'thee' in the lyrics. By now we're getting the picture that the Kaiser Chiefs are the successors to the witty British lyric throne that Blur have long since abdicated, after themselves succeeding Madness.
Modern Way follows, with Wilson giving his best monotone Gary Numan-esque delivery over a steady bass heartbeat before coming across all Damon Albarn in the chorus to great effect. In fact, this could have been a Blur track once upon a time, but Nick 'Peanut' Baines's electro-bleepy keyboards lift it above anything that Blur produced in their prime.
Joining the ranks of The Police, Bad Manners and Trio in the league of nonsensical song titles, Na Na Na Naa is an up-tempo romp that currently does the honours as their live set opener, and is the tune that Noel Gallagher should have written for Definitely Maybe instead of Digsy's Dinner, though Liam could never have conjured up the sense of fun that Wilson brings to the song.
You Can Have It All is what Madness would have sounded like performing one of their more introspective numbers with Terry Hall on vocals. It's one of a couple of fillers on the album, but does have its' merits.
Current single Oh My God wouldn't have sounded out of place on one of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' earlier albums, stomping its' way out of the speakers and all over your front room carpet, while Born To Be A Dancer's chorus is one of those that will lodge itself in your brain and declare squatter's rights, simultaneously coming across all pomp and melodrama while being reminiscent of Weezer's Buddy Holly in places.
Saturday Night sounds exactly like a song called Saturday Night should sound, big and brash and full of attitude - "we're going to hell anyway, let's travel first class". What Did I Ever Give To You is a return to Terry Hall territory, more Colourfield than Specials but none the worse for it.
The Adam & The Ants influence comes back with a vengeance in Time Honoured Tradition which conjures up images of young men in pirate outfits swigging ale from large tankards to the strains of Marco Pirroni's distinctive guitar sound.
The album runs out of steam slightly on the last two tracks, Caroline Yes and Team Mate, going out with a whimper rather than a bang. Both are decent tracks, but it would have been nice to go out in the blaze of glory of glory suggested by the rest of the album. Rather than riding off into the sunset, we're carted off in the back of a police van to Leeds gaol.
Overall, though, the Kaiser Chiefs have produced a debut album that they can be proud of, and while with this Employment they may not be in line for a big promotion just yet, they're a long way from their P45s.
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