Oh my god I can't believe it, I've never been this far away from home (Employment - Kaiser Chiefs)

Member Name: Andy.mack

Product:	Employment - Kaiser Chiefs
Date:	02/01/06 (962 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Decent enough debut, with some catchy tracks

Disadvantages: A lot of filler and a quite disjointed feel to the whole album

With 2006 now upon us it seems that there is almost an air of expectancy surrounding the music industry. The last 3 or 4 years have produced so many decent bands and it’s now a case of waiting to see what this year will throw up. There is also the wait to see whether we hear anymore from the stars of 2005. The main questions for me relate to this band, The Kaiser Chiefs, and whether they are going to come up with a follow up to this debut album Employment or if thy will just vanish without a trace. The later fate has befallen on a lot of bands in the past, but for now they are living in the glory of this, their debut album.

The band hail from Leeds and have taken their name from a South African football team that one of Leeds players used to play for. It’s quite a memorable name and the band obviously wanted something memorable, but unique when they were deciding on a name. The band formed in 2003 and having taken influences from Blur and Supergrass, seemed to fit perfectly into the new Brit Pop revival that seems to be under way. Three of the band had been playing together for a number of years in various different bands but it was the introduction of lead singer Ricky that really set the ball rolling. If the comparisons to early to mid nineties Blur aren’t enough, one time Blur producer Stephen Street was so impressed by some of the bands material he offered to produce this debut effort for them.

For me they have been a bit hit and miss since they broke onto the scene in the early part of last year. I seem to be going through phases of really liking the album, then suddenly deciding that actually its more annoying than appealing, before changing my view altogether once again. With that in mind the album strikes me very much as one to suit certainly moods and attitudes. If your looking for something that will get people moving then this is certainly the album. If however you just fancy sitting down to listen to a CD I think the Kaiser’s are a little too much.

That’s not to take away from the considerable talent that the band appear to have. In lead singer Ricky they have a very distinctive frontman. He’s not someone whose vocals could be easily forgotten and my best attempt at a comparison again falls to Blur frontman Damon Albarn during the Parklife days of the early nineties. He also seems to have a very Devine Comedy style of writing that becomes very apparent in tracks such as “I Predict A Riot” and “Born To Be A Dancer”. I also found that his vocals were very much suited to certain situations and that was part of my constant indecision when it came to the band.

In support of Ricky are 4 quite capable musicians. There is nothing about the Kaiser’s musical ability that really stands out but the quirky nature of each track asks questions of the listener and makes there seem to be more musical genius than there perhaps is. Each track boasts a very consistent and solid drum beat that is accentuated with the aid of the bass and guitars. The addition of the keyboards seem to really compliment Ricky’s vocals and each element blends together to create a very energetic Brit pop sound.

There is considerable talent in the song writing and I think that’s part of the reason why most people cant resist tracks like “I Predict A Riot” and “Oh My God”. They have a really bubbly nature and in truth are fantastic pop tracks that see the Kaisers bridge the gap between new wave Indie and the more successful chart music. True to my last statement is perhaps my choice for favourite track on the album, “I Predict A Riot”. It’s the track that drew me to the Chiefs in the first place and with a very catchy chorus and some cleverly constructed bridges you can’t help but like it. The fast pace really defines what the band are all about.

While there are a number of plus points there are still times when I find this album hard going and occasionally struggle to listen to the whole thing. I think this detracts from the bands overall appeal and will be a defining factor in the debate about staying power. I can’t help feeling that if they don’t adapt their style then it may prove to be a one hit wonder. Yes there are a number of catchy, upbeat tracks on the album there are a couple of slower numbers that don’t seem to have the same sort of feel to them.

This results in a very disjointed feel to the running order of the album and is perhaps the reason why at times it can feel like hard going. The likes of “You can Have It All” and “What Did I Ever Give You” seem to have been intended to break up the faster tracks and provide some respite. Instead they lower the pace just a step too much and rather than linking the album it feels a lot harder to enjoy and often these tracks are skipped.

Overall in the right situation this is a very good album. For instance a couple of nights ago whilst out one of the tracks came on and got just about everyone in the club jumping about. They are memorable tracks but from the rest of the album you can’t help wondering if they wrote 6 singles and the rest of the album is filler. I do want to recommend the Kaiser’s but I think they are very much an acquired taste. If early 90’s Blur are your thing then at least half this album will be right up your street. If however the band are to carry on and become a huge name in British music I think their next album will have to be made up of more consistent tracks and less filler.

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Summary: A reasonable debut that gives them a platform to improve on