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Out of the gate lately have been several sequels, including Kasabian,
Kings Of Leon, Evanescence, The Killers,
and now Leeds, England's endearing offspring Kaiser Chiefs.
The Brit-pop quintet, with lead vocalist Ricky Wilson,
guitarist Andrew White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist
Nick Baines, and drummer Nick Hodgson, is reissuing
their rousing tambourine jiggles, roller coasting rhythms, tangy
synths, squirts of taut guitar projectiles, and interweaving vocals
on their sophomore disc Yours Truly, Angry Mob, produced
by Stephen Street (Blur, The Cranberries,
The Smiths, Morrissey).
Their melodies are loomed into musical dialogues between the
instrument parts foiling charismatic harmonies, communicative
exchanges, and dance club hooks with new wave revival inlays.
The songs are catchy, sporting sing along lyrics, '60s modish
Brit-pop voicing, and dance punk beats. The '60s-ish music clovers
are reflective of the UK's prized steeds Oasis, Razorlight,
and Shack, but like the uniqueness of each dialect in the
British shires, the Kaiser Chiefs' songs are marked by their own
intrinsic accents. This translates into the fact that you can
recognize a Kaiser Chiefs tune immediately. The melodic incantations
and Brit-pop genetics which are indigenous to the band are a double
edged sword. On one hand, people are quick to identify a Kaiser
Chiefs song, and on the other, it sets limitations on their repertoire
to what they already play. Surprisingly, Yours Truly has
enough diverse rhythms and variations in the chordal changes of
their musical vignettes that each song has its own melodic make-up,
contrasting Employment which had a handful of pop hits
and the rest acted as filler.
Yours Truly designs each song fully with melodic scripts
that bud into full-fledged casts of dynamic interaction, like
the track "My Kind Of Guy" about a truly vile bloke
who has so much in common with the singer: "There's a word
to the wise/ You should take some advice 'cause the nice guys
always finish last/ You're my kind of guy 'cause I like your style/
And you sound as horrible as me/ And I don't mind if you're unkind
you're reminding me of me…And heads will roll as it takes
it toll on you and me." The words poke fun at their narrator
as the music is spun into an overcast of haunting theatrics in
the guitar and synth verses, bobbing rhythms and vampiristic vocals.
There's a ghoulish tone in the organ-tinged synths, but still
a charming and playful tune.
The music pendulums in cases like "Try Your Best" and
"Everything Is Average Nowatdays" delivering beatnik
grooves and jiggling synths looping around squeezing guitar hooks
while showers of tambourines ruffle through the melody. The match
grip drum spreads and feathered tambourines on "Ruby"
are vintage Kaiser Chiefs. The classic rock vibe of "The
Angry Mob" has reflections of The Strokes metronome,
while the sprinting vocals on "Heat Dies Down" are chilled
in new wave revival sounding keyboards, dance punk beats, and
guitar flourishes with an Editors' phonic. The brushed
acoustic guitar arpeggios on "Love's Not A Competition, But
I'm Winning" are masked by a gallery of paddling synths and
velvety vocals hugging the rhythmic motions, while the sauntering
rhythms of "I Can Do It Without You" have a summery
feel. Pliable drum strikes are tailored to the softly textured
synths while rippling through the passages of brassy toned guitars
on "Thank You Very Much." The piano ballad "Learnt
My Lesson Well" features drummer Nick Hodgson on lead vocals,
respiring a solemn, bluesy aesthetic into the album, but the band
still falls back on their 60s' modish style of Austin Powers
grooves with tracks like "Highroyds" and "Retirement."
It's hard not to find something to compliment about Kaiser Chiefs
second album. They stretched out and sound more limber by incorporating
acoustic guitar and piano comps into their Brit-pop content. Their
instrument accents are mainstays and have officially become a
part of music fans' psyche. As a whole, the album mixes vintage
Kaiser Chiefs with contemporary tones, giving fans something exciting
to look forward to from the band.
-Susan Frances
Track listing:
1. Ruby
2. The Angry Mob
3. Heat Dies Down
4. Highroyds
5. Love's Not A Competition, But I'm Winning
6. Thank You Very Much
7. I Can Do It Without You
8. My Kind Of Guy
9. Everything Is Average Nowatdays
10. Learnt My Lesson Well
11. Try Your Best
12. Retirement
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