Pitchfork

I've never understood why British bands obscure their accents when they sing, but they've been doing it for ages-- at least since "She Loves You". Recently, however, there seems to be a mini-wave of UK acts brandishing their accents with a frequency last heard in the early days of post-punk.

To these American ears, those vocals are part of what makes the Futureheads and Bloc Party sound as good as they do. Kaiser Chiefs are another of these groups, although their first album, Employment, isn't in the same league as the debuts from either of their above-mentioned countrymen. One reason for this is that the band keeps the energy level constant over the course of the entire disc. There's plenty of variety in the material-- with different rhythmic feels and tempos-- but every song is approached with the same kind of in-your-face ebullience as the others, an approach that grows tiring.

Still, it's deadly entertaining in bursts-- especially if you pick out the right bursts. There are a handful of potential singles that make Employment worth the trip. Chief among them is "Na Na Na Na Naa", a song that rockets along on Manfred Mann pianos, setting the workmanlike harmonies of the verses against the titular falsetto hook. Kaiser Chiefs seem most comfortable at a sort of medium boil with big, energetic harmonies, Moog squiggles, and mild guitar/keyboard interplay. They can unleash an anthem when they choose, like "Modern Day"-- the only song on the LP that is truly dynamic. Its fluid verses are the most spacious, unforced passages on the record, and there's a palpable sense of build prior to the towering chorus. Admittedly, the song also makes me picture band members asking for more cowbell in the monitor during recording, but that's also part of its charm.

Opener "Every Day I Love You Less and Less" sets the tone with its tale of a guy who's so over his ex-girlfriend that he feels obliged to tell her how great his life is without her (in other words, he's pining). The band's spirited attack sells the track hook, line, and sinker. It's a shame that enthusiasm becomes exhausting by the record's end.