With the release of their debut album, “Employment,” the Kaiser Chiefs burst into the British music scene with great success in 2005. Critics praised their unique British rock sound that can be described as a combination of the distinct punk rock of the Arctic Monkeys and the classic alternative sound of Oasis. “Employment” even peaked at number 2 in the United Kingdom. However, the band has had a number of struggles in the past few years. Their last two albums received mainly mixed reviews, often being criticized that they were losing the sound that made “Employment” such a huge success in favor of a more pop-like sound. Additionally, they’ve had great difficulty gaining any recognition in the United States. With their release of their fifth studio album, “Education, Education, Education & War,” the Kaiser Chiefs revive their rally-style sound that was so popular on “Employment.”

The album has many songs that feature the same style of overdriven guitars, synthesizers, and loud vocals which characterized “Employment.” Songs like “Ruffians on Parade” and “One More Last Song” invite you to turn up the volume on your speakers and have fun.

One of the major improvements on “Education, Education, Education & War” from past albums are the songs’ lyrics. On previous albums, lyrics often sounded more like random strings of rhyming words. However, the lyrics behind songs like “My Life” and “Factory Gates” actually have meaning behind them. While the lyrics won’t make you contemplate the meaning of life, they do have a message.

The Kaiser Chiefs have also managed to do very successful experimentation on “Education, Education, Education & War.” The album’s lead single “Coming Home” ditches the overdriven guitar and rally-style vocals in favor a quieter and more bass-driven sound throughout the verse of the song.

However, the album comes with its share of disappointing tracks as well. Amidst the high energy songs on the album, there is the very quiet and relaxed “Roses.” While the Kaiser Chiefs were very successful in a little experimentation on “Coming Home,” “Roses” seems like an experiment gone wrong and is very out of place on the album. The song “Cannons” has the same rally tone of many of the other songs on the album. While it’s not necessarily a bad song, it clocks in at over six minutes, finishing with a poem, and isn’t nearly entertaining enough to keep you listening through until the end.

With that being said, “Education, Education, Education & War” is, for the most part, a genuinely entertaining album and is certainly one of the best albums that the Kaiser Chiefs have released. Despite the quality of the album, America’s top recording artists need not worry about the Kaiser Chiefs being at the helm of the next British Invasion. However, fans of bands such Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and Franz Ferdinand should definitely check out “Education, Education, Education & War.”