At one point in
Kaiser Chiefs' sixth album,
Stay Together, frontman
Ricky Wilson declares "Pop music. This is pop music. We are writing and recording pop music." Indeed,
Stay Together marks a giant shift for the Leeds band. It's a cheery collection that celebrates love and life, incorporating electronic dance elements, funky bass rhythms, and a shiny sheen courtesy of
Xenomania's
Brian Higgins (
Kylie Minogue,
Sugababes,
New Order), mixer
Serban Ghenea (
Rihanna,
Taylor Swift), and songwriters
Wayne Hector (
One Direction,
Westlife) and
MNEK (
Beyoncé,
Madonna). While
the Kaisers may have started as
Blur-lite party-starting lads, they're shooting for pop glory on
Stay Together, in a fashion similar to
Coldplay's jump on "A Sky Full of Stars" or A Head Full of Dreams. Taking it from the club to the disco, the party never stops, it's just the tempo that bobs and weaves. The main inspirations run the generational gamut. Classic
New Order basslines abound. They channel
Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" on "Sunday Morning" and
Let's Dance-era
Bowie on the glorious opener, "We Stay Together," where
Wilson does his best impression of
Damon Albarn's falsetto commonly employed with his other band,
Gorillaz. The distorted tropical vocal effects popularized by Jack U on the
Justin Bieber hit "Where Are U Now" pop up on the explosively buoyant single "Hole in My Soul," while
Empire of the Sun get a nod on the glimmering neo-disco jam "Indoor Firework." "Good Clean Fun" might be
Kaiser Chiefs' first song overtly about sex, where
Wilson dons an early-'90s
George Michael jean jacket and gyrates his way through lines like "sex makes everything better." Most of these risks land without much distraction, but like the jarring addition of grime rap that appeared on Off with Their Heads,
Stay Together will no doubt divide fans. For those who appreciate fearless exploration of new ideas from a band that is hungry for change and reinvigoration,
the Kaisers' brave step into the future is a fun diversion from their usual rollicking and energetic rock show. While the pop flair and immediately addictive nature of these songs may not be as nourishing or urgent as past "rock" efforts,
Stay Together is undeniably upbeat and revels in its conviction to make you move. ~ Neil Z. Yeung