Duck
by Kaiser Chiefs
  • Record Label: Polydor
  • Release Date: Jul 26, 2019
Metascore
61

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. Q Magazine
    Jul 30, 2019
    80
    It all ads up to an unlikely, if not unlovable nostalgia trip to a less fraught time. [Sep 2019, p.112]
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  2. The Telegraph (UK)
    Jul 26, 2019
    80
    Pound for pound and hook for hook, Duck is as strong an album as they have ever made: a bright, giddy, colourful collection of pop anthems to raise the spirits.
  3. PopMatters
    Aug 6, 2019
    70
    Duck is an album by a mature band aware of what they and their fans want.
  5. AllMusic
    Aug 6, 2019
    60
    Although it elevates the value of the underrated and divisive Stay Together and houses a handful of strong earworms, Duck ranks as one of Kaiser Chiefs' weaker overall efforts.
  6. The Independent (UK)
    Jul 26, 2019
    60
    No one will be celebrating Duck for breaking new ground, but long-term fans won’t much be complaining either.
  7. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jul 26, 2019
    60
    Duck is far from inventive, but there’s fun to be had.
  8. The Guardian
    Jul 26, 2019
    60
    Wilson sounds adrift. He won’t find an identity in the painfully strained Golden Oldies, a shouty song in sharp contrast to its broody sentiment. Nor in Don’t Just Stand There, Do Something, an unnervingly edgy vaudevillian number. ... But they still have enough hooks and appealingly weird quirks to keep getting away with it.
  9. Sputnikmusic
    Jul 29, 2019
    50
    As expected, Duck wants to please everybody and this is the reason it fails to take off. ... They prefer the safety of the comfort zone, although they fare much better when they show some grit.
  10. The Observer (UK)
    Jul 29, 2019
    40
    Duck crashlands in as confused a space as that might suggest; it’s a very mainstream record, but doesn’t sound sure that it wants to be.
  11. Mojo
    Jul 26, 2019
    40
    All in all, Duck is the sound of a band trying way too hard. [Sep 2019, p94]
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  12. DIY Magazine
    Jul 26, 2019
    40
    There are a couple of fleeting moments (the chorus of ‘Wait’ is a hooky, soaring thing) that remind you of the unabashed earworms that the Kaisers can produce at their best but, for the most part, Duck is actually a bit of a turkey.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
  1. usc88
    Oct 18, 2021
    8
    Haven't really listened to their stuff since 2011, but I've recently been re-visiting the British alternative scene (thank Jools Holland) andHaven't really listened to their stuff since 2011, but I've recently been re-visiting the British alternative scene (thank Jools Holland) and this is a fun listen (the first time through as of this writing). They haven't totally re-invented themselves. This is certainly less humorous/angry than the first 3 albums for certain, but its got it's own charms. I'll listen to it several times for certain.… Full Review »
  2. kadoka
    Aug 6, 2019
    8
    Definitely don't agree with the critical reception to this album. This is pretty solid and has the right hooks to deserve repeated listens. ItDefinitely don't agree with the critical reception to this album. This is pretty solid and has the right hooks to deserve repeated listens. It really grows on you. Is it cheesy? yes. That's the downside of digging into your roots. I really feel they made this one for the fans. Not to pander to new audiences or the critics. That is what any band at this stage in their lifecycle should be doing. But on this album they do it with aplomb. This is what an indie rock (yes it is rock) album should sound like. I rated their last album a 4.5, and EE&W a 8. EE&W didn't immediately gel and even now it is a hard one to listen all the way through to because of the narrated parts, so I think this Duck is their most complete listen since Yours Truly, Angry Mob and perhaps Employment. How on earth can this be worse than Stay Together no matter what you think of Duck? Some people have lost the plot. If you are a Kaiser Chiefs fan and were yearning for something like their older stuff, this will not disappoint, nuff said.… Full Review »
  3. BomXD
    Jul 28, 2019
    7
    Pretty solid album, great hooks, a very pleasant surprise after the flop that was Stay Together.
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