Kaiser Chiefs- Yours, Truly, Angry, Mob

After the Kaiser Chiefs debut album Employment became the accidental hit of 2005 many thought it was a fad. So it comes as no surprise that many people didn’t have too much faith in a second album. Usually, like the Strokes or Oasis they blow it all, either on drugs or over the top production. Yet the Kaiser Chiefs haven’t returned with a new album all about their star experiences or their bank accounts, but rather the familiar experiences which made them in the first place.

Opening the album with ‘Ruby’ its very easy to skip the track that has been constantly rammed down the public’s throat for months, yet unlike Employment, this single is not one of the highlight’s on the album. As it moves into ‘When the Heat Dies Down’ it proves that the Kaiser Chiefs still have the ability to create a catchy chorus while focussing on returning home and paying the rent.

Apparently spending a year back in Leeds to focus on the new album rubs off as each song depicts back to childhood rather than current events. One of the highlights ‘High Royds’ doesn’t show any drastic changes as the chorus simply consists of ‘ooooh’ but it does refer back to the band’s previous housing estate followed by the transition from then to today. Ricky’s lyrics still appear on the basis of rhyming only but as he sings “Got a text from an ex, wants to know when we’re in London next/ Can you write a song about me? I don’t think so!” You can’t help but chuckle.

This album, if only slightly does however display darker streaks. With songs such as ‘The Angry Mob’, taking a similar direction to ‘I Predict A Riot’ the thick bass in the second half depicts not only three quarters of the band’s fan base but also is in danger of becoming another drunken sing-a-long down the local. However Nick Hodgson does display a softer side to the album, particularly through the piano melody of ‘Boxing Champ’, which disappointingly barely lasts a minute, but along with the Blur infested ‘My Kind of Guy’ adds more depth to an album of radio friendly tracks.

Although among the stories of beatings, drinking and gang culture the Kaiser Chiefs do display a different side in ‘Thank You Very Much’ which brilliantly manages to capture the band’s feelings of their rise to fame. As Ricky honestly sings “This should be a thrill, but it feels like a drill” of their live performances it shows their displeasure of touring, yet this song barely brushes the surface, knowing it’s not what the public want to hear.

It’s with this that it’s hard to wonder if Yours, Truly, Angry, Mob is a drastic step forward for the Kaiser Chiefs. They can display rugged faces and dress dramatically but they could never be serious, and although this album shows more depth, and in many ways self analysis it still contains enough anthems to keep the whole family amused. As far as second album’s go the Kaisers have been lucky enough to keep their feet firmly on the ground, and it’s precisely that which will make them the biggest band of the year, again.