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"When the Kaiser Chiefs announced they were working with Mark Ronson on their third album, it was met with a collective grimace from the nation&amp;#039;s indie purists. Ronson&amp;#039;s fondness for brassy &amp;#039;60s soul, combined with the Leeds band&amp;#039;s knack for knocking out singalong pop anthems, sounded like a step too far for listeners who prefer their bands not to sound like they&amp;#039;re sleeping with drivetime radio playlisters. However, those who ran for the hills should be prepared to skulk back with their tails between their legs. Expectations that Off With Their Heads would be an album of tacky, radio-friendly indie-pop - complete with sax solos at the end of every song - are wide of the mark. The Kaisers&amp;#039; third LP is actually an adventurous record that often finds the band ditching the mega-choruses for irony-laced punk-funk. Even more surprisingly, Ronson is actually fairly restrained here. Other than adding a bit too much cowbell to &amp;#039;Addicted To Drugs&amp;#039;, a cringeworthy Robert Palmer skit, he takes a backseat, allowing Ricky Wilson&amp;#039;s crew to pursue their new-found interest in Talking Heads-style dance-rock. The presence of new wave obsessives New Young Pony Club, who provide backing vocals on two tracks, underlines the band&amp;#039;s intentions here. By contrast, Lily Allen&amp;#039;s tabloid-friendy cameos on &amp;#039;Never Miss A Beat&amp;#039; and &amp;#039;Always Happens Like That&amp;#039; pass without fanfare. Fans of the Kaisers&amp;#039; first two albums may be disappointed that there&amp;#039;s no &amp;#039;Ruby&amp;#039; or &amp;#039;Oh My God&amp;#039; here, but this album rewards repeated listens rather than walloping you in the guts with hook after hook. &amp;#039;Like It Too Much&amp;#039;, one of the many highlights, starts with a typical Kaisers mix of crunching guitars and jaunty piano before erupting into a overblown crescendo orchestrated by Bond composer David Arnold - it&amp;#039;s a step up from anything on the band&amp;#039;s first two albums. Equally brilliant is the thrilling &amp;#039;Half The Truth&amp;#039;, which finds the band pogoing around with the enthusiasm of teenagers. Elsewhere, &amp;#039;Tomato In The Rain&amp;#039;, with its hypnotic synth loop and gentle guitars, is reminiscent of the Beta Band, while &amp;#039;Can&amp;#039;t Say What I Mean&amp;#039; sounds like Futureheads on Prozac. Only on &amp;#039;Good Days Bad Days&amp;#039;, which is probably supposed to recall the afro-beat stylings of trendy New Yorkers Vampire Weekend, do the band come unstuck. The lack of a killer single will probably harm its commercial fortunes, but from an artistic point of view this is the Kaisers&amp;#039; finest album to date.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/music/album-reviews/review/a132744/kaiser-chiefs-off-with-their-heads/>