All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

The Guardian

That Employment is derivative is both undeniable and irrelevant. It is so confident, so smart, so full of life, that a more enjoyable 45 minutes is hard to imagine.

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Village Voice

Kaiser Chiefs flow so well that even given the nonstop electro-like riffs, hooks, and knowingly cornball solos played by guitarist Whitey, the songs as a group can over-egg the pudding as only powerpop can. But as a record-making matter, Employment is nearly without flaws.

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E! Online

Employment is thrilling from beginning to end, packing in 45-minutes of exuberant Britpop melodies, na-na-na choruses and buzzsaw guitars that make Franz Ferdinand look like a bunch of stiffs.

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Spin

Frontman Ricky Wilson is an average singer but an extraordinary melodist. [May 2005, p.102]

Mojo

Smelts the classic rock canon (Madness, Blur, Bowie, Small Faces) into an infectious, head-spinning punch. [May 2005, p.109]

Urb

They have a clever way with words and pleasantly surprising musical depth. [May 2005, p.92]

Alternative Press

Kaiser Chiefs melt their influences into something entirely non-derivative--and thoroughly fun. [May 2005, p.172]

Drowned In Sound

Try not to worry too much about where it comes from, or who else it may or may not sound like. Instead, enjoy a record that is quintessentially British, without pretension and most importantly, a whole lot of fun.

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Playlouder

Essentially, 'Employment' is a very British record; an entirely Britpop creation spawned ten years after the event.

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Blender

[Kaiser Chiefs] are smug, preening and shallow, and so eager to entertain that they nearly piss themselves with pizzazz and energy. [Apr 2005, p.119]

Uncut

A gem. [Apr 2005, p.105]

Dot Music

They develop, mutate, and swell in confidence until you’re faced with the last thing you expected - finally, a worthy successor to Blur.

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cokemachineglow

This is an not an album designed for navel gazing introspection, but rather one to be played at neighbor-annoying volumes before you hit the town on a Friday night.

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Billboard

At least until that new Coldplay record drops, the Kaiser Chiefs have positioned themselves to hold the title of Baddest Musicians in the World With a British Return Address.

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Rolling Stone

The Kaiser Chiefs make you want to sing along with practically every song by the second chorus.

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Entertainment Weekly

Certainly makes for a fun time. [8 Apr 2005, p.64]

Los Angeles Times

It's also a nice change of pace that the Chiefs avoid the '80s post-punk clichés so much in fashion with their peers, though you have to wonder about the instincts of a band that leads off with its most gimmicky and least involving songs and buries its best toward the end. [10 Apr 2005]

Tiny Mix Tapes

Employment feels more like a patchwork collage of past Brit-rock stardom... than a fully-formed statement of their own. But maybe that's missing the point. When a band has this much fun and crackles with this much energy, you don't ask questions.

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All Music Guide

Employment is an uneven but still very promising debut that suggests that one day the Kaiser Chiefs will pull off something even more ambitious.

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Prefix Magazine

There are no bad songs on Employment. There are maybe a couple not-good ones toward the end, but even those are so tightly wound and polished they could end up lodged in your head for days.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

A mini-compendium of Britpop from the '60s to now.

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Pitchfork

It's deadly entertaining in bursts-- especially if you pick out the right bursts.

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Lost At Sea

Kaiser Chiefs manage find their footing early on and this success forgives them their meanderings later on the disc.

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Under The Radar

The rest of the album, however, never quite lives up to the manic energy of "Riot." [#9]

Q Magazine

Employment is an album that demands furious scrawls of red pen in the margins. [Apr 2005, p.120]

Stylus Magazine

This is the kind of post punk that loves The Specials and XTC rather than Wire and Joy Division.

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PopMatters

If Franz Ferdinand were Pearl Jam, these guys would be the Stone Temple Pilots.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 62 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Garry K gave it a0:
When I first listened to "I predict a riot" I didn't even want to listen to the rest. Too poppy and cheesey.

ixat a gave it a9:
at first listen this album sux big tym.. but after frequent listening, it actually rocks! the unes are cetch, though some of them sounds kinda foolishly weird(Na Na Na-sounds like an asylum anthem). but ultimately, this album is fun, colourful and worth ever penny

Chad S gave it an8:
I've had "Employment" for about eighteen months now and "I Predict a Riot", in particular; still sounds great, kind of like a less brainy XTC and a guitar solo that sounds inspired by the B-52's "Rock Lobster". "Modern Way" is almost as good. Catchy pop songs are always better than atonal dirges.

Luke T gave it an8:
Kaiser chiefs make a good first impression with their debut album 'employment.' Apart from one or two songs all of the tunes are catchy and get stuck in your head and the lyrics are written well. One of the best british bands of their generation.

Kate B gave it a9:
The best album in my CD rack at the moment! Although it takes ideas from bands in other decades, Employment is catchy and entertaining, and all of them are good musicians. Ricky Wilson is a great lead singer, and a thouroughly nice person. Everyone should get this album and support this British band so they can go far!

jarrod w gave it a9:
"Employment" is one of the greatest albums of 2005. The opening three songs are brilliant. The song, 'Modern Way" which is not as popular as the first two: "Every Day i Love you Less and less" and "I Predict a Riot", however it is my favourite on the album. The Kaiser Chiefs are not unique, but they stand out against similar acts such as Maximo Park, The Futureheads, and bloc party.

Doug A gave it a10:
I have never heard an album that made my happier. Despite a couple "fillers" this album is as bubbly and fun as they come. Can't wait for the follow-up

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Employment

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