Kaiser comeback

The Kaiser Chiefs were, in my opinion, unfairly maligned as a novelty act when they started out. Here was a band that recognised the inherent greatness of the singalong chorus and "the bit that goes wooooo" (technical term). Being accessible shouldn't be scorned.

The criticisms clearly stung, though, and the Chiefs responded with a world-weary album about how everything is average nowadays.

It was, with a dose of irony that Alanis Morisette would appreciate, profundly average.

So, to recapture their mojo for album number three, the Leeds lads enlisted the talents of Mark Ronson, banned him from using trumpets and set about crafting some raucous, shouty nonsense - although they sadly missed the opportunity to enlist Alesha Dixon for a guest spot.

Judging by their new single, Never Miss A Beat, they've remembered exactly what made them great in the first place. Choppy guitar licks? Check! Nonsense lyrics? Double check! (What do you want for tea? I want crisps!). Big wooshing noise to herald the arrival of a final, rousing chorus? Triple check!

The only fly in the ointment is Ricky Wilson's dry delivery, which is laden with more knowing ennui than a minibus full of French philosophers.

If someone could pop round his flat with a case of Red Bull, rub some deep heat into his eyes and poke him in the tits, that would be marvellous.

Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss A Beat (mp3)

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