How can this five-piece from Leeds possibly fail to become huge stars? They've been endorsed by Franz Ferdinand, they're all over the music press and their sound is classic Britpop - thankfully, the arty Blur/Pulp faction rather than the conservatism of Oasis/Cast. Like the Kinks and the Jam before them, Kaiser Chiefs specialise in crafting comic vignettes of English life, instantly hummable and infused with wit and insight. Their delightfully barmy lyrics, meanwhile, ensure that they've got a vaudeville personality all of their own. It's perhaps best not to get too carried away - Employment is a debut, after all, and like most debuts it contains its fair share of tracks that don't quite work. For the most part, though, this barnstorming album is brimming with a self-confidence that's absolutely infectious. Resistance is futile.

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