Yours Truly, Angry Mob

First, let me say that at $7.99 the new Kaiser Chiefs album is a steal. Buy it for "Ruby" (the lead song and single) and you've gotten your moneys worth. It's a three and a half minute piece of pop I liken to Pop Rocks. Remember Pop Rocks? Those sharp candy shards that pop and fizz in your mouth? After a few seconds it vanishes in your mouth, leaving only a sticky film. That's how "Ruby" is. Great, short, jumpy and sweet. I first heard the song on Little Steven's Underground Garage (it was Steven's Coolest Song in the World one week a month or so ago). It's a great song, and when I heard it I was stoked to hear the rest of the new record.

The Kaiser Chiefs are a British new-wave/pop outfit that burst onto the scene a few years back with their critically hailed debut EMPLOYMENT. That first record was fantastic, start to finish. A couple of years later (I think it came out in 2003 or 2004) I still find myself listening to it (particularly at the gym). Made famous by "I Predict a Riot" and "Modern Way" (now being used by FOX to shill their new car/action show DRIVE).

Like many bands, though, the Kaiser Chiefs are suffering from the dreaded "sophomore slump." Is YOURS TRULY, ANGRY MOB a bad record? No. Is it as good from start to finish as EMPLOYMENT? No. Is it enjoyable? Hell yes. Besides the single "Ruby" there are a handful of really great cuts. The Hot Hot Heat-ish rave up "Highroyds" stands out with its synth heavy sound and "ooh"-ing backing vocals. Another track, the high energy "Thank You Very Much" recalls the previous records opener "Everyday I Love Less and Less." Likewise the excellently titled "Love is Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)" is a thrilling tale of modern love (and all it's woes). In fact, if I had to say what the records overall theme was...I'd say it was broken love. Not very surprising considering that, as XTC would say, "This is Pop!" But still, the more I age and move away from my teenage years...the more I tire of trivial, juvenile love. The last album seemed to tackle more than just Top 40 love. Not so much for YOURS TRULY, ANGRY MOB.

Many reviews I've read also criticize the band for having a lot of repetition in their lyrics. Songs like "I Can Do it Without You" and "Ruby" could fall into this category. Basically, if you can read those song titles, you could sing 70-85% of those songs. Is this a problem? No, the Kaiser Chiefs don't sit there and pretend to be Dylan. This is a simple, rock record--I find the somewhat simple lyrics to be primal (something all the best rock is guilty of being). Good rock is a battle cry, rallying the troops of humanity against the forces of the mediocre and pedestrian. No song proves this point better than the excellent "Everything is Average Nowadays" (which is a ranting about the sameness of modern life...it's a great bit of BLACK SEA-era Andy Partridge). Rally cries don't have to tell a complex story. Although, this complaint maybe the Chiefs own fault...their first single on the last record made use of the word "thee" which may have lead some critics to think the band was trying to be "intellectual." Whatever.

Some of the songs are weak ("My Kind of Guy" stands out) but suffer more of a case of blandness rather than being unsustainable. A few of the tracks are strange and jar the listener only because they don't seem to fit with the rest of the record. A good example of this is "Learnt My Lesson Well" which opens like a Billy Joel piano-man type song...which isn't bad...but the slowness comes like an emergency brake on a 100MPH freeway. The song meanders on for over five minutes (making it the longest track on the record). It's strange, because the piano song ends, there is a pause--then we get what sounds like the chords from "I Predict a Riot." Different lyrics, same music. "I Learnt My Lesson Well" isn't a bad song, just a strange duck on YOURS TRULY, ANGRY MOB. I get the feeling that the more I hear it, the more I'll like it. But I didn't care for the obvious musical lifting (even if you're stealing from yourself, it's just wrong kids).

The version I bought (from Best Buy) had three bonus tracks the retailer claimed were "exclusive." I'm skeptical about this, because usually these "exclusive" tracks are tacked on EVERY copy of the CD...anyway, there's a live version of "The Angry Mob" (from Berlin) and two other songs. One is just okay ("From the Neck Down") the other is fantastic ("I Like to Fight"). If you happen upon a copy of this record with these on them, I suggest you pick it up. If you find a copy that lacks these tracks...you can pretty much live your whole life without them (though I'm thinking about making "I Like to Fight" my personal anthem).

So, while it's not a major revelation...or a shift in the musical world--YOURS TRULY, ANGRY MOB is in the end satisfying enough. If you're new to the band, I recommend picking up EMPLOYMENT first, then pick this one up while it's still bargain priced. Despite the ablum being slightly less than stellar, I still have high hopes for the bands next project.

Jason gives YOURS TRULY, ANGRY MOB a B-