Amazon.co.uk Review
There's no doubt, the Kaisers know their rock history: "Oh My God" and "Every Day I Love You Less and Less" barrel along with something of Madness' playful charm, while "You Can Have It All" and the lush "Caroline, Yes" appear to be conscious nods to the sleepy, harmony-laden Californian pop vision of Brian Wilson. The lyrics of frontman Ricky Wilson, however, are rooted in a very English sensibility--one often traditional and occasionally, bizarrely archaic: "Walking through town is quite scary/ It's not very pretty, I tell thee," he gasps on adrenaline-fuelled urban nightmare "I Predict A Riot". It's the sort of pleasingly unusual idiosyncrasy that sees Employment stand out from the fashionable indie pack, and assuming the Chiefs can continue to keep their foibles the right side of irksome, any attitude is thoroughly justified. --Louis Pattison
Review
With "Oh My God" nestled up behind artists such as J-Lo and Girls Aloud in the UK top ten, Employment is the final jewel in the crown of the past eighteen months. Jump out of your seat for 45 minutes of a perfectly pop blend of indie, electronica and everything in between.
With producer Stephen Street working his magic on the album and the sound of Graham Coxon's motorbike opening "Saturday Night", it's all too easy to draw comparisons with Blur. Simon Rix concedes "We kind of did that to ourselves because we like Blur. There are a couple of songs on there where we nod to Blur...We do have things in there that are meant to say 'we like this band'". So prepare yourself for a journey through the eras that made British music what it is.
Employment's notable feature is undoubtedly the quirky lyrics that will turn over in your mind for hours after your first listen. 'Pn-n-n-neumothorax is a word that is long but I'm just tryin' to put some punk back into punctured lung' is a personal favourite. Combine these lyrics with an array of kitsch rhymes and polished harmonies and you're left with a tantalising catchiness that begs you to skip to the beginning and listen all over again.
Eccentric tracks like "Time Honoured Tradition" suggest that the Chiefs don't quite fit in. But the swirling melodies, soaring vocals and scintillating lyrics blend together to produce a mêlée of everything that's been missing in pop in recent years. Out of twelve tracks, all twelve entice. Employment reflects a sense of self-indulgent freedom and it's a heck of a lot of fun. --Shalinee Singh
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
About the Artists
The Kaisers' story actually begins some time before they'd decided to name themselves after a successful South African football team. School friends Simon, Peanut and Nick had been playing together in various bands since the age of 15 before spying art school graduate and restless-ball-of-energy Ricky singing with a Rolling Stones tribute band.
Right now, everybody wants a piece of the Kaiser Chiefs. Blur producer Stephen Street was so bowled over he offered his services for debut album Employment. A barrage of bouncing art-pop brilliance, it's scheduled to soundtrack 2005 from the minute it hits stereos this March.
