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[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL
"First Impression of Kaiser Chiefs" |
12.28.11 |
BY MIKEY MIGO
It’s that time again. About once a month I’ll dig into my brain and see what’s not there. By that I mean I look for information gaps about bands. I figure out bands that I’ve seen the name of a million times or know has a big fan base or that is held in high regards. No one can listen to everything and we all miss out on something. This is my chance to go back and fix that. I try to find bands with four to six albums in their complete studio discography that I’m not familiar with. Then I sit down with headphones on and take it all in with an open mind. Sometimes it sucks listen to every song recorded by bands like Kings of Leon, The Wallflowers, Portishead, and Rise Against. But there are always those instances when I expose myself to Simon and Garfunkel, Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, Ministry, The Smiths, The Stooges, and others. It’s a crap shoot, really. I am always optimistic going in, but depending on how I take to certain albums it can get messy or turn into a fluff piece. No matter what I am honest.
Why The Kaiser Chiefs?
Why not Kaiser Chiefs? They seem to be grouped in the same category as bands I like in magazines and reviews. I’m cool with bands like Arcade Fire, Franz Ferdinand, The Kills, and the like. If they’re anything LIKE those then we should be good to go. I’m open minded either way. I’m hoping for the best because four albums is a long time to hate your ears.
Employment
(2005 – 44 minutes) - Their debut album kicks off with "Everyday I Love You Less and Less". It’s a pleasant bouncy rock track. I am hearing and reading that it’s got some Beach Boy vibes going on. There is a definite surfer rock thing hidden in there under the new wave throwbacks. "I Predict a Riot" has more of an obnoxious tempo and delivery similar to older punk stuff. At this point, I get the feeling this is going to be a mopey listen. "Modern Way" is really good. It’s a down tempo track and has my interest peaked. The title of "Na Na Na Na Naa" shouldn’t fool you; they say "Na Na Na Na Naa" a lot. It has a fun sway to it. "You Can Have It All" sounds like something directly from the Oldies station. I really feel like I need to be a yacht to enjoy this. Out of nowhere my ears are treated to a snazzy funk intro for "Oh My God". The vocal delivery is really cool and makes this song really stand out. It’s direct, but it has a really cool old school aura going for it. I REALLY like this song. I’m actually pissed at myself for never hearing it. It’s good. That was one of those songs that completely shifts the experience into a good one. I dig the next song "Born to Be a Dancer" too. The guitar break down towards the end gives it a really big and epic feel for a three and a half minute song. There is a really danceable thing going on in "Saturday Night". It’s gritty surf punk pop rock slash everything. Somehow it works. "What Did I Ever Give You?" is trippy as fuck. The looping organ, the spinning vocals, and circus-like melody doo-wops itself into your brain. You can’t help but sway a long to it. Things get a little weird on "Time Honoured Tradition". It has a Willie Wonka style of melodic bounce to it. I sorta really like it. Things simplify with a swooning down tempo gem in "Caroline, Yes". It does build up into some pretty awesome full layer stuff. The album ends with a somber release. "Team Mate" has a frazzled organ droning its tones as the lyrics are sung as quietly and quaintly as possible. This album was a little dry at start. I could tell there was some interesting things going on, but once “Oh My God” started the tone of the album seemed to really change. The second half of the album is definitely stronger, but does almost get too spacey at times. I love the throwback and combing of genres and decades, but some time’s it goes on too long without proper pay off. I really liked what I heard. For a first album, I am optimistic to see where the next three go.
Yours Truly, Angry Mob
(2007 – 45 minutes) - The band waited two years and released their sophomore effort. It starts off with "Ruby". The addicting guitar riff bounces with melody that goes into vocals that remind me of Morrissy. Not necessarily a bad thing. Of COURSE I’ve heard this song. If you played this for me, I’d swear it was a cover. It’s one of those songs that has a chorus so easily remembered that you feel like you’ve heard it before. Awesome stuff. "The Angry Mob" builds up into a staggering rock tune. Another solid track. Things step back a little with "Heat Dies Down", a calmer yet danceable tune. I can imagine kids in over sized “FRANKIE SAYS” shirts dancing to this song. "Highroyds" is the “Na Na Na” of this album. It has the same repetitive and weird intro/chorus. It’s still an interesting listen though. I really like the down tempo, acoustic sounding drones of "Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)". It’s gotta be my favorite laid back tune of their so far. It’s calm, but nowhere close to being subtle. "Thank You Very Much" is worth listening to purely for the chaos that happens in the middle with the chorus. The album lost me in "I Can Do It Without You". It’s just too repetitive and simple. It feels like filler. I love the smooth guitars and pulsing bass of "My Kind of Guy", a fairly morbid song. Was the song "Everything Is Average Nowadays" being ironic by being a really average song? I don’t think so. It’s not bad at all. It’s a foot-tapper that doesn’t really require paying attention. I’ll forget about this song before this album finishes playing. We get a stripped down piano ballad in "Boxing Champ". The vocals are sung by someone else in the band. It’s a nice song and it’s only about a minute and a half. The guitars at the start of "Learnt My Lesson Well" lets us know were in for something big. It keeps building up and eventually goes into a mid tempo bounce. This is probably my pick for the “Yacht track of the album”. "Try Your Best" slowly broods into a down tempo acoustic strummer. It builds up and by the end your ears are full of rock. This would have made for a great closer, but we have one more. Rounding this collection of songs up is "Retirement". It’s not a bad tune, but doesn’t have as much of a “oomph” to it as “Try Your Best”. All in all, this album was good. It wasn’t AS good as the first album, but the production quality went up and you can tell the musicians are being more comfortable in their own skins. I would hope the next albums try new things.
Off with Their Heads
(2008 – 36 minutes) - "Spanish Metal" kicks off the bands third album. It doesn’t sound much like anything else, but still has the same playful rhythm. It has some cool guitar work in it, but it’s as catchy as anything they’ve done. The first single on the album is "Never Miss a Beat". It has a more stripped down sound and sorta reverts back to the surfer rock stuff mainly from the first album. The melody of "Like It Too Much" is fun. I also enjoy the vocal delivery and layers of slight sound. The electro groove that opens "You Want History" needs to enjoyed by all. It breaks into a solid “foot tapper”. So far I’m not connecting with album nearly as much as the other material I’ve heard. It comes off a little flat for some reason. While it had a solid beat, "Can't Say What I Mean" falls into the same flat trap. Their other single from the album is "Good Days Bad Days". A bouncy track that sounds like a drunken bar song more than anything else. The opening of "Tomato in the Rain" is really one of the coolest things on the album so far. It goes into a down tempo tune about a “Toe-mah-toe in the rain”. So far, this is my favorite song on this album. The chord changes and progressions of "Half the Truth" are cool. It’s a weird song, but there’s something cool about it. You just want to bounce to it. The piano and constant pleasantry of “Always Happens Like That" is cool, but it doesn’t really explode past “decent”. "Addicted to Drugs" is not only the title to this song, but a very valid lifestyle choice. The song is pretty awesome. The lyrics used are almost painfully relatable. Really fun stuff. The album closes off with "Remember You're a Girl". It’s a down tempo floater. By that it feels like you’re on a paddle boat as a nice day happens around you. It would be a good “sleep mix” song. I won’t sugar coat it. This album was pretty boring. It never really took off from any of the points the first two albums set for it. This album should have been their “sophomore slump” album. It lacked edge. I wasn’t expecting to be grabbed by the throat by the Kaiser Chiefs or anything, but I’d at least get a hook stuck in my head or something. Hopefully it was just a hiccup. On to the latest…
The Future Is Medieval
(2011 – 45 minutes) - The band’s most recent album starts off some really cool stuff in "Little Shocks". It has a “Talking Heads” vibe going for it that is obviously a compliment. It’s already better than anything on the last album. I feel like I’ve heard "Things Change" before, but I don’t think so. It reminds me of 80’s Bowie, but a little more intense. "Long Way from Celebrating" is a fun track. It has a dirty groove, but gets muddy in a more “grunge” way. I don’t know how to describe it, but I think that’s part of why I think it’s so interesting and good. It’s a down tempo and spacey track, but "Starts with Nothing" rocks pretty hard. It’s about five and a half minutes and you need every second of that to really take it in. The vocal delivery and cool ass loops in "Out of Focus" stand out, but it’s a solid tune all around. "Dead or in Serious Trouble" is okay, but seems a little too noisey at times to really enjoy the melody or lyrics. There is something about "When All Is Quiet" that makes you think you’re going to be getting something on an epic level. It builds into a decent enough song, but I feel jilted. I cannot help but nod a long to "Kinda Girl You Are". Single "Man On Mars" sounds like something I should have already heard. The opening and intro do it is cool as shit. It goes into well placed and presented vocals. It’s a bad ass chill out track. I got sucked into "Child of the Jago”. I don’t know what it is, but certain vocals by these guys remind me of the old Willy Wonka movie. It’s almost chanty as much as it is enchanting. The music drones and bounces you through the near five minute track. Pretty trippy. Holy 80’s pop rock! "Heard It Break" is a throwback if I’ve ever heard one. It sounds like a cheesy 80’s electro pop songs. It’s fun for a minute or so, but before too long you’re waiting for the next track. "Coming Up for Air" is a really slow down tempo piano track. It’s a beautiful song. Clearly one of their best down tempos. The album closes out with "If You Will Have Me/"Howlaround". That’s how it’s listed. It’s one of those “hidden track” deals. It’s a fun folky tune at start and then after awhile of nothing we get a cool jam out that fades all eerie-like. This was a much better album than the last one. They tried some new things, improved on what they were already good at, and it’s a much easier listen. There were some really good songs on here.
THE VERDICT
(2005 – ) - Does anyone remember that old short lived VH1 show “Bands Reunited” where they’d get old bands back together to perform for one night. A lot of these bands were one hit wonders from the 80’s that you realize seemed a lot cooler and better than they ever got credit for. Yeah… I do too! A lot of those bands were new wave 80’s pop rock. That sound is what stood out in my mind while listening to these four albums. I enjoyed them, but they sounded really dated. Not in a cool hip “retro” way but in a “we get it! You LOVE the Beach Boys and synths!” sort of way. They had some cool stuff, but it’s not really a band I’ll go out of my way to hear again. I might add a few tracks to my listening rotation, but all in all this was a pleasant listening experience, but still a little exhausting.
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