There may be some music fans out there who were delighted to buy into the Kaiser Chiefs once Ricky Wilson’s appearance on The Voice beautifully dovetailed into the release of Education, Education, Education and War, but were subsequently a little disappointed with the follow up, Stay Together. It was just too middle of the road and didn’t really feel like the original Kaiser Chiefs.
Fear not, that music fan. You are safe to regenerate your interest in the likeable Yorkshire gang. Ricky said in a recent interview that he went back to listening to their early, massively successful BRIT Award winning albums, and music that they were listening to at that time, and attempted to reconnect with what had made them so popular back then.
And as soon as first snifter, Record Collection, was released, it immediately felt more familiar. Something to do with Ricky’s voice forward in the mix, the, “Uh-huh, inside your head, inside your head, inside your head,” like a rotating record on a turntable and clever enough lyrics, “I’m a subtle seduction, I am out of corruption, I’m a God enlightened cleaned up re-enactment of your day.” I’m not sure anyone could write anything as engaging about a Spotify stream.
And the other previewed tracks are so immediately memorable, it’s as if they found the secret spell book for writing catchy songs. People Know How To Love One Another is a singalong before you’ve even heard the whole song and Wait is a finger clicker. Golden Oldies must be one of few songs written about trying for a baby (or a little puppy) which again will have you singing “Golden Oldies” without you even realising it (as well as hoping that the couple hit the jackpot and the shove becomes a push) and Don’t Just Stand There, Do Something has been in my head relentlessly.
Bands like Kaiser Chiefs deserve success through their sheer hardworking ethic – they are (seemingly) always playing live here there and everywhere, and the brunt of the energy, good humour and performance falls upon the shoulders of the affable Ricky Wilson. They are savvy enough to give the audience what they know – I Predict A Riot etc (god knows, they must be bored of singing Ruby) while expertly weaving the new stuff in. But as he says, “You can’t just sit at home and expect the music to do all the work for you.” Despite DUCK initially seeming a most odd choice of album title, it’s full of pluck, no bird muck.
music waffle. 