Off With Their Heads? More like Off With Their Ears!
If you’re in the market for indistinguishable Brit rock to pad your collection, feel free to add Leeds’ own Kaiser Chiefs to the mix. Their third studio release is perfect for fist-pumping frat boys in Hoboken bars who want to prove they have some semblance of indie rock cred but are far too lazy to research something a little less generic and slightly under the radar. That would require thinking, but then again so does most subterranean music of the indie rock persuasion that is actually worth listening to.
Not to say that Kaiser Chiefs don’t deserve their success. Employment (2005) was a stellar debut that flirted with new wave and 70’s style punk, but since then it seems a desire for commercial success has made their sound mass produced for, well, mass appeal. And quite frankly, fuck marketability if it is at the expense of losing that certain something that put them on the musical map in the first place. Even the help of Mark Ronson, who has produced brilliant songs for the likes of Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and Nikka Costa, did little wonder for this derivative music except give it a shiny, polished sound.
“Spanish Metal†is their “badass†intro. Upon first listen, the vocals excited me since they were reminiscent of Alice In Chains, particularly lead singer Layne Staley (may he rest). Alas, the excitement left as quickly as it came since all the song did was ultimately make me want to turn on Jar Of Flies, not so much continue with Off With Their Heads. With a catchy sing-a-long chorus and watered down Gallagher (see: Oasis) vocals, first single “Never Miss A Beat†is actually one of the more tolerable tracks. But if blatant un-originality and banal lyrics tire you out, this song will put you to sleep faster than Nyquil. Then there’s a whole mess of uninspired songs like “Can’t Say What I Mean†and “Good Days Bad Days,†boasting lyrics that are equal parts cliché and utterly annoying. And dare I say forgettable?
Oh, and then there’s the cardinal music sin: pilfering the winning style of other musicians yet pawning it off like it’s your own creation. It seems the aforementioned is a refuge for the current unimaginative state of Kaiser Chiefs. The punchy guitar that punctuates the intro of “Like It Too Much†is nothing but a Spoon “I Turn My Camera On†baseline knock-off, but not in a good way. And I’m not even a huge Spoon fan! To add insult to injury, “You Want History,†with its wailing guitars and big background vocals, is a melodic mélange of sounds from a whole mess of forgettable 80’s bands not even worth the lackadaisical mention.
Overall, this album misses the very beat they claim to “Never Miss.†These Leeds lads aren’t exactly covering new ground. Had they opted to cover familiar territory from a unique vantage point maybe they could have developed more worthwhile lyrics, but no dice. Plus, the music has been done before… and better. Sometimes cheap imitations work IF they are done well, as with the case of The Maccabees, who sound like Coldplay’s younger, lesser-known brother. The only difference here is at least their emulation is listenable, even if it isn’t particularly groundbreaking. Eh, it is what it is. And suffice it to say, I’ve seen fake Prada wallets sold by New York City street vendors with more style and originality than Kaiser Chiefs.
Off With Their Heads will be released on October 28th through Universal Records.
Tracklisting:
01. Spanish Metal
02. Never Miss a Beat
03. Like It Too Much
04. You Want History
05. Can’t Say What I Mean
06. Good Days Bad Days
07. Tomato in the Rain
08. Half the Truth
09. Always Happens Like That
10. Addicted To Drugs
11. Remember You’re A Girl
Kaiser Chiefs: website | myspace
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