Album Info Box
Title: Yours Truly, Angry Mob
Artist: Kaiser Chiefs
Label: B-Unique
Band Members: Ricky Wilson, Whitey, Simon Rix, Peanut, Nick Hodgson
I Predict A Riot, Na Na Na Na Naa, Everyday I Love You Less And Less, Oh My God. One thing unites these 4 tracks and singles from the first album from this lot, the multi-platinum, world conquering Employment.
WHOOAAAAA!!
What started as a way for Ricky to fill time during a guitar solo became the Kaiser's trademark. They were the band with the 'whoa' factor. People therefore ignored my personal favourite single, Modern Way because it seemed like it lacked something. There was no whoa. It also required lungs of steel to sing properly, but mostly it was the whoa thing. Then there was I Predict A Riot re-release b-side Sink That Ship. There were ooooh's, but not whoa's. The whoa has not been a constant staple of Kaiser Chiefs songs. So if you like the whoa, steer clear of this because its nowhere to be found.
This isn't a new Kaiser Chiefs, but they're more serious. This is their rant against Britain in 2006/7 but unlike Bloc Party they can't go after the casual sex, drug use, sexuality issues etc because they're the nice family friendly Kaiser Chiefs. Not even a photo of all 5 of them looking nice and serious on the cover can change this. They can't go after the clubbing scene because that's how they got their break in the first place and they glorified it on Employment. In a way they've painted themselves into a corner when it comes to an angry album.
But they aren't angry by themselves. They're angry at other angry people. Namely, The Angry Mob who Ricky said are Daily Mail readers. As the album starts though you won't care about that because you'll be too busy creaming your pants courtesy of the megariff that introduces the 2007 Kaiser Chiefs collection. Their first number one and deservedly so, Ruby.
Following Ruby isn't easy, but The Angry Mob tries its best. After the opening it falls a bit flat being nowhere near as singalong or musical as the single. It however serves as a nice 5 minute lull to clean the aforementioned creamed-by-riff pants in preparation for Heat Dies Down. Another colossal intro with another sublime chorus it played the part of single-in-waiting to perfection.
Things don't slow down for Highroyds. A song about a council estate supposedly and with lots of whooping in the intro (not whoa's). Musically its sound (very sound) but lyrically things are starting to look a bit thin. They've stepped on the wet paint they used to get into that corner by suddenly deciding that nights out aren't very good after all. This makes things start to look a little bit put on and fake, ranting for ranting's sake. Its an enjoyable song but it leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.
So its quickly scarpering back to safe territory and Love's Not A Competition (But I'm Winning). A song changed because it was sounding too much like Coldplay. As its appeared here, it still sounds like it would fit right in on X&Y. It even sounds like they've pinched some effect pedals from Martin and co.
So after a strong start the whole thing's starting to fall apart, thankfully Thank You Very Much brings it back. A graceful acceptance of fame but still protesting the importance of moving on. This is more like it and sounds a lot more honest than Highroyds, thus restoring a bit of credibility to the record. At under 3 minutes it does drag either like a few tracks before it have.
The intro to I Can Do It Without You sounds like it could soundtrack a country drama, but that thought subsides quickly. That's because its replaced by another lingering thought along the lines of 'this sounds a bit like Coldplay'. That thought subsides quickly too though and for one good reason, this song is a complete nothing. No excitement, no feeling, no nothing.
Round 8 then and My Kind Of Guy. By this point I'm worried, the album has yet to reclaim the peaks of its opening track. This is promising though, a menacing riff couples with a menacing tale about someone who could only be described as a nasty piece of work. This is much better than the dirge that preceeded it.
Speaking of better, then comes Everything Is Average Nowadays. A criticism that could potentially be levelled at some of the songs on this album but not this one. This is pure Enjoyment and that is not down to Whitey's guitar but Peanut's keyboard. You'll be humming this one a lot and its highly reassuring.
Less reassuring is the opening to Boxing Champ, piano is good on a Keane record, but not a KC record. This is this album's Team Mate, a small interlude before the final assault. In a way, its a bit too short.
Intro to Learnt My Lesson Well is pure Hodgson, all drums and that sound stays dominant even after Whitey comes in. A song about control of money and being brought down to earth with a smash when that doesn't quite work out. Its a good song but like so many on this album it drags on for far longer than it should.
The penultimate track on the album, Try Your Best is positioned perfectly. Closer to the spirit of Team Mate as far as melody and sound goes, it surpasses its cousin with relative ease and even goes a bit Modern Way in the second half. This is almost pure-Blur and that is a very, very good thing.
At last, after 41 minutes we come to Retirement. A desire to be remembered seeps through this song like a rag soaked in chloroform. Musically and lyrically its strong, even choice in places but yet again its just too. Damn. Long.
Like Bloc Party, the Kaisers have failed to beat their first album. They've not just fallen short though, they're worryingly wide of the mark. KC have overreached themselves and stumbled horribly, its painful to say but this is nowhere near the glory that was all of Employment.
In One Line
A choppy album with some flashes of brilliance, but overall a major disappointment.
Six (6)
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