Kaiser Chiefs - Duck (2019) [CD-Rip]

Given the risky but ultimately satisfying play they made with 2016's sharp pop turn Stay Together, English indie rock vets Kaiser Chiefs take a few steps back with their uneven seventh set, Duck. With its casual, adult contemporary vibe, the album feels like the soundtrack to a suburban garden party thrown by a fortysomething who's attempting to seem both cool and mature. There are faint traces of a hip, youthful past, but otherwise it's merely enjoyable in the moment and forgettable as soon as the guests climb back into their cars to return home. Those fleeting hints of the Kaiser's past prevent the set from being a total dud, with a handful of highlights keeping Duck afloat. The Portugal. The Man-indebted "Wait" bubbles with synth and horn pep, while "Don't Just Stand There, Do Something" recalls the anthemic theatrics from Employment and Yours Truly, Angry Mob processed through an Arctic Monkeys churn. Elsewhere, "Golden Oldies" and "Lucky Shirt" are light and pleasant ditties, destined for crowd-pleasing live sets. Duck's best moments arrive courtesy of "Record Collection," an addictive gem that seamlessly blends the band's pop and rock sides, and album closer "Kurt vs Frasier (The Battle for Seattle)," a cheeky oddity that marries two famous '90s Seattleites in a curious singalong that only the Kaiser Chiefs could pull off. 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. ~ Neil Z. Yeung