Kaiser Chiefs
Yours Truly, Angry Mob

THE REVIEW

If there was one thing to appreciate in the debut of Kaiser Chiefs "Employment," besides a handful of remarkably crafted songs, it was the freshness with which they managed to offer songs with a fun and carefree stride. Songs that sparked the most diverse comparisons, except the first one that should immediately come to mind: the very early Blur, present in the structure of most songs, in the ton of choruses filled with "Na Na Naaa.." and, at times, in Ricky Wilson's vocals ("Saturday Night" was almost lawsuit-worthy, with Graham Coxon at the start of the song fiddling with his moped).

With the new "Yours Truly, Angry Mob," the formula is essentially unchanged (a choice rewarded by the single/album double whammy topping the UK charts, plus several number one debuts in various European countries); Stephen Street's production (very few missteps on his part, perhaps only "A New Morning" by Suede) adds just a hint of vigor to the guitars. Here we go with "Ruby," the ultra-catchy first single (already an annoying hit here in Italy too) with a good stadium-ready chorus (or rather, a stadium chant) and a nice solid guitar intro. The following "The Angry Mob" is a good track, perhaps the best of the batch. Characterized by a guitar indebted to the latest Franz Ferdinand and a nice change of pace in the finale, it maintains intact the energy unleashed after the wonderful opener. "Heat Dies Down" could be the perfect single, while in the fantastic chorus of "High Royds" the Blur resurface strongly, with a guitar riff that would definitely make Graham Coxon's geeky face smile. "Love Is Not A Competition (But I'm Winning)" is a pleasantly catchy acoustic ballad that fits well within the album's dynamics, with a nice interplay between lead vocals and choir, paired with the slow "Boxing Champ," the latter frankly useless.

"I Can Do It Without You" and "My Kind Of Guy" (one strangely Oasis-oriented, the other could be an outtake from "Employment") have the unpleasant aftertaste of filler; thus we arrive at "Everything Is Average Nowadays," fast and cheerful, and "Learnt My Lesson Well," played on a staggering yet very lively rhythm. "Try Your Best" is perhaps the only surprise of the album, opening on sad and suspended atmospheres and exploding into a finale dominated by guitars and drum passages. The sly "Retirement" bids us farewell from an album that will truly captivate fans of a certain playful pop and early (and only early) fans of Blur, while it will make those who seek depth and emotion in music wrinkle their noses.

To say it in their own words, Yours Truly.