by Mike Mineo
Kaiser Chiefs have been building a dedicated fanbase for quite some time now, with the release of their single, 'Oh My God' increasing it even more so after recieving rave reviews from magazines such as NME. The single was a very big accomplishment, and it deserved the reviews it received as it felt very lively and energetic. It was clear to see that Kaiser Chiefs had the energy in hand to be one of the most memorable bands of the year if the album could follow on the excitement on the single, 'Oh My God.'
Kaiser Chiefs first album, Employment, kicks off with the song, 'Everyday I Love You Less And Less', which could easily be an attainable single, following the format the band followed with 'Oh My God' with a display of fun lyrics and a catchy chorus. The lyrics may be too simplistic at times, but the Kaiser Chiefs are not aiming for complexity here. They aim for fun and this is what they achieve. Wilson fun little chants such as, "Everyday I love you less and less, it makes me sick to think of you undressed," continue throughout the album in a somewhat repetitive fashion.
The second song on the album, 'I Predict A Riot' will most likely be known as Kaiser Chiefs most popular song, as vocalist Ricky Wilson sounds superb while he bounces off yet another song with a great and hooking chorus. As simple as it may be, it works great for the band. But instead of making an album where every song attempts to be a generic single, the Kaiser Chiefs moved on to a more different sounding territory with most further tracks.
'Modern Way' starts paving the way for the band showing that they don't want every song to sound repetitive. After two explosive songs, Wilson sings with a more hush-hush fashion, and he is successful in doing so. 'Modern Way' is probably the best track on this album, and it's a song that's not to be missed.
The album does have its blunder with the incredibly annoying 'Na Na Na Na Naa' turning up into a disaster of a song. This is badly placed as the fifth track, disrupting the flow, but luckily the Kaiser Chiefs regain their ground with the enigmatic 'You Can Have It All' and 'Born To Be A Dancer.' Both tracks are extremely catchy and again show that the Kaiser Chiefs still have it in their debut of an album. As I've already talked about the song 'Oh My God' earlier this is stationed in between these two tracks as well, and it makes its way as the Kaiser Chief's anthem-type of a track that has you nodding your head to the beat. A great single, as I stated before.
'Saturday Night' may turn some off, as the Kaiser Chief's take a step into a new direction but I personally find the song a breath of fresh air as it's the only song on the album that cannot really be compared with any others on the album. The album continues to finish off strong with the creative 'Caroline, Yes' and the lush ending ballad of 'Team Mate' as the album fades into the end.
Overall, the Kaiser Chiefs have a solid winner in their debut album. Employment provides a welcoming sound with a bunch of stellar tracks. One would think with songs such as 'Oh My God' and 'I Predict A Riot' that most of the tracks would be fillers. That is far out of the question. Though at first the Kaiser Chiefs will sound like any old indie rock band, the songs grow on you tremendously. The Kaiser Chiefs turn out one of the most fun records of the year in their debut, and it's not to be missed.
