Providing an integral thread from EMPLOYMENT is renowned producer Stephen Street, who, having worked with the Smiths and Blur, proves to be adept at balancing lively anthems with melancholy numbers. In fact, ANGRY MOB serves to reinforce the Chiefs' Blur comparisons, with frontman Ricky Wilson often bringing to mind a scrappy young PARKLIFE-era Damon Albarn in spirit, if not in voice. Though some Kaiser fans may be put off by the less-than-giddy proceedings, the more introspective approach suits the group surprisingly well, making for a mature and intriguing second outing.

It's no secret that the Leeds-based Kaiser Chiefs love the Jam. The band's 2005 excellent but uneven debut Employment was an infectious salute to all things mod and Brit-pop, boasting three solid singles ("I Predict a Riot," "Oh My God" and "Everyday I Love You Less and Less") that held great promise for future endeavors. On Yours Truly, Angry Mob, the group takes a little more time in establishing its pop acumen, offering no immediate pay-offs despite its insatiable thirst for FM melody. Opener and first single "Ruby," a rowdy, mid-tempo singalong that gets everything right but feels a little tossed-off and disposable, is indicative of Angry Mob's first half -- "Heat Dies Down," "Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)" and "Highroyds" have all of their cogs well-oiled and reliably dressed, but there's nothing here that warrants the inevitable second listen in which a perfectly constructed pop song's true genius is revealed. To that end, Angry Mob is creatively back loaded (though not genius), relying on a series of rewarding and occasionally subversive tracks like "I Can Do It Without You," "Learnt My Lesson Well," "My Kind of Guy" and closer "Retirement" to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, revealing a band that is likely to continue pumping out albums with a few great songs on them until the requisite "Greatest Hits" collection arrives. [Yours Truly, Angry Mob is also available in an edition with three bonus tracks.] ~ James Christopher Monger