Album Review: Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs
Yours Truly, Angry Mob
@@@ (out of 5)

When I was in London in May 2005, I asked a record store clerk to cite some popular new bands in Britain that I may not have heard of in America. He mentioned Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian and Razorlight and I bought the current albums from the first two right then and there. Employment, the 2005 album by Kaiser Chiefs, was quite enjoyable, with a few really good songs, including I Predict A Riot and Everyday I Love You Less and Less. They would go on to get some press and airplay in America, play Live 8 in Philadelphia, not London and open a co-headlining tour by Foo Fighters and Weezer. But they won multiple Brit Awards (England's answer to the Grammy's) and their new album and its lead single, Ruby, went straight to #1 in Great Britain. In America, they're still playing small venues, such as the Vic in Chicago. Based on the new album, their entire output to date and even my own discovery of numerous current Brit-famous bands that I like better, I think both America and Britain are about half-right. The Chiefs deserve a bit more acclaim and success in the states, but cannot yet be considered a great band worthy of all the love heaped on them at home. Yours Truly, Angry Mob is listenable, even enjoyable, but certainly not brilliant, revelatory nor especially interesting. Ruby is fine, but there are dozens of better recent Britpop singles. And even after several listenings, none of the other songs stand out and seem to fall short of the top songs from Employment. So as Britpop ignored in America goes, this is a band and album worth knowing about, but doubtfully one that will change your life.