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Education, Education, Education & War
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Education, Education, Education & War Image
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 35 Ratings

  • Summary: The fifth studio release for the rock band was produced by Ben H. Allen III and is its first without Nick Hodgson who left in December 2012 (Vijay Mistry takes over on drums).
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Top Track

Coming Home
Do you wish you hadn't stayed all night? do you wish you hadn't got so high? do you wish you hadn't come? oh no, gotta go Do you wish it wasn't half... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 19
  3. Negative: 2 out of 19
  1. Q Magazine
    Apr 23, 2014
    80
    After a decade as pop's court jesters, Kaiser Chiefs have finally found their true voice. [May 2014, p.106]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Alternative Press
    Mar 28, 2014
    70
    Not everything hits the mark, but there's enough to delight in and offer plenty of hope for the Chiefs' future. [May 2014, p.93]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. Mojo
    Mar 26, 2014
    60
    At its best during the cinematic rock of Coming Home, the epic, plangent Roses and pugilistic opener The Factory Gates. It's less successful on the woozy stomp-alongs of Misery Company and Meanwhile Up in Heaven. [Apr 2014, p.92]
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  4. PopMatters
    Apr 4, 2014
    60
    Education, Education, Education & War is an album that gets better on repeated listens. That must mean that the best bits--and there are many--increasingly obscure the mediocre parts--and there are several of those too.
  5. Sputnikmusic
    Apr 4, 2014
    56
    Even at 45 minutes, Education, Education, Education & War feels too long, because the Chiefs are 100% committed to impose their sarcastic views till the last second.
  6. Clash Music
    Mar 26, 2014
    50
    Kaiser Chiefs fall further into the abyss of bands that have little new to offer in a current musical climate where progression is more closely measured than ever.
  7. Fact Magazine (UK)
    May 1, 2014
    10
    The lyrics are at best perfunctory, at worst an insult to anyone who isn’t a total nork.

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User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. NeonGreenBike
    Apr 17, 2014
    7
    This album is critical. It is anti- many things today (and yesterday), which is not a bad thing, but maybe it is delivered with too muchThis album is critical. It is anti- many things today (and yesterday), which is not a bad thing, but maybe it is delivered with too much cynicism for it's own sake. Sometimes it lacks of subtlety, sometimes it is too sarcastic (like sardonic laugh in Misery Company), at the same time it condemns Peter Pan syndrome (And we're choosing not to make that choice, and we lose our shoes and voice... But we have a lot of fun on the way, wanna play?) and fighting (for) something, rather than living in a happy bubble (You and me on the front line, You and me, every time, It's always you and me, we're bows and arrows ... We the people, created equal And if that's true, then we're not the only ones Bows & Arrows).
    My biggest problem with this album is that it leaves me in a confusion - I don't know if I should take it seriously as a anti-war, anti-capitalist, anti-indolent etc. manifesto or it is an album which main purpose is to mock of various anti-something protest (among other things just for protesting against something sake), criticize indolence and unawareness of today's educated youth. If last one is the case it would explain why there is so much pessimism on the album, but it is easy to be critical, much harder is to provide a solution.
    I'll take the "middle road", adopt traces of optimism in lyrics and focus on music which is post-punk/alt-rock at it's best. After all, this album really gets better after each listening.
    Highlights are: Coming Home, Ruffians on Parade and Roses    … Expand
  2. clarkethepigeon
    Apr 2, 2014
    6
    A step up from their previous effort, with some unusually ambitious tracks mixed in amongst the standard Kaiser Chief 'Na Na Na Na' fare.A step up from their previous effort, with some unusually ambitious tracks mixed in amongst the standard Kaiser Chief 'Na Na Na Na' fare. 'Cannons' is, I think, one of the best songs that they have written in recent years and I also particularly enjoyed the album's opener, 'The Factory Gates', but the album definitely suffers from a weak series of tracks in between - 'Misery Company' and 'Bows and Arrows' being the two that I would pick out as the strongest, though they are certainly no more than 7/10s.

    There is certainly cause for optimism here, though, and the Kaiser Chief's might not be as spent a force as previously feared; a few more 'Cannons' and a few less 'Ruffians On Parade' on their next album, and it could be something special.    … Expand
  4. davim
    Oct 22, 2014
    3
    My problem with The Kaiser Chief's new material is that the songs seem to just drag on and don't really have any direction. The first trackMy problem with The Kaiser Chief's new material is that the songs seem to just drag on and don't really have any direction. The first track 'The Factory Gates' and one of the final tracks 'Cannons' are the few bright sparks, I got completely lost in the middle again. Ricky Wilson should just stick to The Voice.… Expand

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