Released: March 1
Returning with a funked-up new sound, Kaiser Chiefs are kicking off their 20th anniversary breakthrough year with their aptly-titled ‘Easy Eighth Album’.
Originally launched back in November 2022, it’s been a long time coming for the Leeds lads and the Nile Rodgers-produced lead track, How 2 Dance, is a standout moment from the set – if something of an outlier – but still tons of fun and a sure-fire highlight of their live sets for years to come.
If that song feels as if it was written with the intent of being on another record, opener Feeling Alright meanders through three-and-a-half minutes without ever really peaking, starting the record on an uneasy footing that reflects the band’s endeavours to fuse the classic Kaiser Chiefs sound with elements of ‘80s pop and funk.
However, the combination doesn’t completely work as the album’s run feels jarring at times; appearing mid-way through the LP, The Job Centre Shuffle is one that the project could have been built around, with a unique production, lyricism and performance that carries through the sound successfully in ways other songs don’t manage to.
As the Ruby hitmakers are set to hit the road throughout the spring, there are moments on the album, such as the budding pop-rock classic, Sentimental Love Songs, that will no doubt come to life on stage as Ricky Wilson takes command and brings an energetic edge to the material.
But in trading in big festival-ready, shout-along tracks in favour of a genre-bending fusion of sounds, ‘Kaiser Chiefs’ Easy Eighth Album’ feels over-complicated and without a firm direction.
Moments of greatness that capture the essence of the band shine through, but the real proof of the pudding will be when long-time fans tuck into their latest offering.
