Review Summary: If only they had thought it through...
When I recently heard the Kaiser Chiefs had released a new album, I was both surprised and worried. Surprised, for they had only released their last album, Yours Truly, Angry Mob, in 2007. Worried, for the very same reason. An only one-year gap between two albums is an almost never-occurring phenomenon (in these days, that is), and it sure has a reason.
Maybe my doubts were going to be proved wrong. Maybe.
Obviously, all of you have now long seen my mark at the top of this page. The Kaiser Chiefs would have made a better effort if they had thought about this more carefully. Instead, the album was an spontaneous outburst of creativity, which they thought they could put into an album, just like that. The result is their 3rd release, Off With Their Heads (I must admit the title is fantastic). A band must be exceptionally talented to make a great album in such a short time. Unfortunately, the Kaiser Chiefs failed to do this. We shall see why that is.
It all kicks off with opening track Spanish Metal, pretty short, clocking at 2:21. At this moment, I was still enjoying myself. A few electronic sounds here and there, some catchy guitar playing was in fact a great introduction to the album. The tracks continues to repeat the same riff throughout the song, which is not annoying at all. An excellent track to serve as opener.
Next up is the first single, Never Miss A Beat. This song features some nice guitar playing again, backed by simple yet effective drumming, and also here, there are electronics present. The Kaiser Chiefs seem to be going with the flow, as numerous indie bands have begun to incorporate electronics in their recent albums, for example Bloc Party with their Intimacy and Keane with Perfect Symmetry. The lyrics are quite funny, commenting on the wrong direction the youth is going in (It is impossible not to refer to Porcupine Tree’s Fear of a Blank Planet). However, the vocal performance does get too repetitive, especially the constant ‘never miss a beat’ line. I’m sure this song will do great commercially, although I know that the Kaiser Chiefs can do so much better.
Now that we come to track 3 and beyond, things quickly begin to go downhill. Badly. Remember the few filler tracks on Yours Truly, Angry Mob, like Thank You Very Much and My Kind of Guy? There are some just like those on this album. Not one or two, or even three, but the entire remainder of the album is filled with these kind of bad-quality songs. They sound nice (for one listen), and have no content whatsoever. Possible exception is Tomato in the Rain, which is quite refreshing, especially because of the lyrics, which remind me that the Kaiser Chiefs have not lost all of their charm:
Like a tomato in the rain
I got that feeling again
Like a greyhound in a race
I’ve got a rabbit to chase
The whole performance also reminded me of Love’s Not a Competion (But I’m Winning), which is a good thing.
Now, we have come to the inevitable conclusion. The Kaiser Chiefs should have thought about this album a bit longer, and a bit deeper, and then I’m sure they could have put out quality. After all, the few highlights that this albums has, show that the band hasn’t lost its talent. Next time, I would advice them not to rush things, just because of a wave of sudden creativity.
Recommended tracks:
Spanish Metal
Tomato in the Rain
Never Miss a Beat
