Kaiser Chiefs
Employment (2005)
Leeds five piece Kaiser Chiefs (named for the South African club of former Leeds United skipper Lucas Radebe) exploded onto the British music scene in early 2005 with their debut album, Employment. Prior to that, the group had attracted great attention from A & R people for their catchy pop sensibilities tied to a sound rooted in post-punk, new wave and Britpop. Success for the group seemed a matter of time.
Though I doubt even Ricky Wilson, who famously once said he would "wank a tramp" to ensure musical success, would have expected this album to shift in the order of three million units.
When it was released I remember being very impressed by the quintessentially British nature of the music and lyrics, and thinking that the band were destined for great things. Now, whether or not they've gone on with that is debatable...but today I thought it would be good to take a look back at this album and see if it really is that good.
The Album
Full of bright, catchy guitar pop (and the occasional trip into edgier territory), Employment really is a typical 'good' debut - mostly good tracks but occasionally inconsistent. At its best, it's full of singy 'lad' choruses and plenty of 'na-na-na' moments, perfect for drunken incoherent rambling chanty singalongs. Hooky guitar riffs sometimes mingle with keyboard lines and it's underpinned by a sound rhythm section. At its worst, fairly trite lyrics are interspersed with grating musical approaches (though even some of the better songs contain dodgy lyrics.)
The band's ability, identified in their early years, to write catchy guitar pop comes to the fore in the album's opening three songs. Everyday I Love You Less And Less takes some forced rhymes and fairly bitter themes, combines them with a simple keyboard riff and jangly distorted guitar and produces a toe-tapping pop tune. The pick of the three is I Predict A Riot, with its savvy and accurate depictions of a standard Saturday night out in Leeds - drunken twats spoiling for a rumble, overzealous policing, girls out on the pull - married to a dark indie/punk riff. The third track, Modern Way, is the most radio-friendly of the three, with a lush, inoffensive-sounding chorus and comparatively quiet verse. All three also contain those big 'lad singalong' choruses, as does the overrated Oh My God (which, lyrically, makes very little sense, but it does provide an acceptable attempt at an anthemic Oasisesque monster chorus.)
The group turns their attention to more raucous indie on the tracks Na Na Na Na Naa (which takes the na-na-na chorus to its questionable zenith, even if it is a fun, catchy song) and Saturday Night (which is resplendent with a guest appearance by Graham Coxon's motorbike). There's more inoffensive but listenable pop tunes in You Can Have It All, built around a whiny keyboard riff, and the rather boring Born To Be A Dancer and Time Honoured Tradition.
There are also some pleasant diversions away from pure guitar pop. There's the Beach Boys wannabe schtick of Caroline, Yes (and yes, the title is based on the Beach Boys' Caroline, No), as the band layer multiple overdubbed vocals to create a wall of sound in the choruses, and there's also a bit of a hidden gem in What Did I Ever Give You, featuring a distinctive organ opening, a slow, contemplative tempo and an equally contemplative lyric about acknowledging one's bastardry towards a loved one.
The band's ability, identified in their early years, to write catchy guitar pop comes to the fore in the album's opening three songs. Everyday I Love You Less And Less takes some forced rhymes and fairly bitter themes, combines them with a simple keyboard riff and jangly distorted guitar and produces a toe-tapping pop tune. The pick of the three is I Predict A Riot, with its savvy and accurate depictions of a standard Saturday night out in Leeds - drunken twats spoiling for a rumble, overzealous policing, girls out on the pull - married to a dark indie/punk riff. The third track, Modern Way, is the most radio-friendly of the three, with a lush, inoffensive-sounding chorus and comparatively quiet verse. All three also contain those big 'lad singalong' choruses, as does the overrated Oh My God (which, lyrically, makes very little sense, but it does provide an acceptable attempt at an anthemic Oasisesque monster chorus.)
The group turns their attention to more raucous indie on the tracks Na Na Na Na Naa (which takes the na-na-na chorus to its questionable zenith, even if it is a fun, catchy song) and Saturday Night (which is resplendent with a guest appearance by Graham Coxon's motorbike). There's more inoffensive but listenable pop tunes in You Can Have It All, built around a whiny keyboard riff, and the rather boring Born To Be A Dancer and Time Honoured Tradition.
There are also some pleasant diversions away from pure guitar pop. There's the Beach Boys wannabe schtick of Caroline, Yes (and yes, the title is based on the Beach Boys' Caroline, No), as the band layer multiple overdubbed vocals to create a wall of sound in the choruses, and there's also a bit of a hidden gem in What Did I Ever Give You, featuring a distinctive organ opening, a slow, contemplative tempo and an equally contemplative lyric about acknowledging one's bastardry towards a loved one.
The Verdict
Employment is indeed a good, catchy guitar pop album. Its influences merely add flavour to the band's favoured pop aesthetic, rather than dominating the album's sound entirely. I'd still argue this is their best album, even if it is rather inconsistent, and I'm not sure they've ever really lived up to the promise that Employment showed....but nonetheless, it's an album worth giving a spin.
Just don't expect your musical world to be blown away. It is, after all, just a standard pop album with poor lyrics.
My rating: ***
Standout Tracks
I Predict A Riot
What Did I Ever Give You
Everyday I Love You Less And Less
Tomorrow, a real genuine lo-fi release, and another request met!
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