Reviews

Kaiser Chiefs

Employment

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Review Date: 2004-04-04

One listen through the Kaiser Chiefs debut album leaves me wondering how they managed to find "Employment" in the music industry. I can't really saw I am a huge fan of all the new post punk / retro / dancey style music coming out (which arguably started with the Killers deciding to rip off 80's bands like Duran Duran, and The Cure, Billy Idol and such instead of ripping off 70's bands), however I do like a few bands inside of that sound. The Bravery, Hot Hot Heat, The Futureheads, The Faint, and The Bloc Party are a few that comes to mind. However, even the bands i don't like as much for example The Killers, Controller Controller, Louis XIV, and Kasbians still have talent. To be frank, the Kaiser Chiefs do not.

The Kaiser Chiefs could be described as The Killers being done by Alvin and the Chipmunks. Everything is so fucking peppy, and has so much misplaced energy and theatrics that after a few songs you just want it all to stop. Their are a few attempts at toning it down, and all those attempts do is illustrate how poor the band is musically. So they either annoy you or bore you depending on the song. Pick your poision. I suppose hearing a Kaiser Chiefs song every once in a while might not be so bad, but string a few together and the music is doomed. Hailed as being found and produced by the same people who helped Blur, at times you can hear that in the sound. But, Blur had dimensions the Kaiser Chiefs could never even dream of. The scary thing is a lot of young hipster kids are loving this band. It might go f'n platinum. Typing that gave me a shiver.

Might as well get this out of the way. As far as the Kaiser Chiefs go my "favourite" track is called "Everyday I love You Less and Less". It probably doesn't hurt this song that it is the first song on the album as the band didn't have a chance to annoy me yet, but I think it is a bit more than that. The lyrics are a bit less juvenille and annoying as some of the other songs. The background combining band work with a catchy 80's electronic keyboard effect and humurous evil laughter background vocals creates a rather infectious if somewhat rampant sound. When I hear this song I can't help but fall into it a little bit. The song though is still really not any good. Give me anything by the Futureheads thank you very much.

Welcome to the roller coaster of suck. The first stop is a mind numbingly stupid song called "Na Na Na Na". And yes na na na na is essentially the entire chorus of this song, and is often repeated in between sentences in a really high and unbelievably annoying fashion. The background is completely uninspired and repetitive. They even have a guitar solo here, which is kinda funny because the guitar on this album is Presidents of the U.S.Aesque. I think they say Na Na Na Na 20 + times in this 3 minute song.

"Oh my God" the Kaiser Chiefs are trying to make a dramatic rock song without any of the retro comfiness that makes them appeal to the trendy kids. Not much of a try though. I mean hey part marks for trying something else the other crap isn't working but no dice. This song almost sounds like a slightly retro sounding Christian rock song. Seriously... the lyrics... and the way his voice sounds without the fast pace and retro elements of the other songs sounds like an aggressive Jars of Clay or something.

Did I mention how bad the lyrics are on this album? "P-p-p-pneumothorax is a word that is long. They’re just tryin’ to put the punk back into punctured lung. Pe pe pe panic over party off party on. We are birds of a feather and you can be the fat one". That lyric comes from a song called "Saturday Night" which is another highly annoying overdone attempt at retro. The worst part of this song is the vocal noises, and background vocals used. The verses are actually ok.

Instead of bashing on another song I'll mention one more half decent track. The album closes with "Team Mate" which again I might be partial to because it ends the insanity of "Employment". This song is toned down and actually seems like a snail's pace compared to the other ones. Remarkably, it works. Well it works in a sense. This has perhaps the feel of a slow, thoughtful Libertines song. And dare I say if the Kaiser Chiefs manage to survive the retro explosion and live to release a few more albums this thoughtful, melodic, slower sound might be their best bet. How this song made it on an album that was clearly put together to rake in some cash on the latest fad is beyond me.

Usually right before a fad peaks and begins to fizzle out a barrage of new and sometimes inferior sounding rip off music starts to trickle out. It seems that time might be upon the retro explosion that has been assaulting airwaves the last year and a half. Still some of it will be good and the new Bravery and Hot Hot Heat albums sound like they might be, but some of it will be like the Kaiser Chiefs. Introducing to you ladies and gentlemen the Jet of the retro music scene, The Kaiser Chiefs.

Songs you should download: Download whatever you want. I won't recommend any of it.

Score: 4.5

I won't pass them. Maybe i coulda given it a 5 but right now i'm just so unimpressed with it that i can't bring myself to do it.

- Dan