ukevents.net
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 2439
|
| Tell a Friend Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:45 am Post subject: Album Review: Kings of Leon – ‘Because of the times’ |
|
|
Kings of Leon – ‘Because of the times’
2007 has been a big year for Tennessee’s Followill family. The cowboy rock stars have come a long way since the days when they lived in a car and dreams were interrupted by the sound of tumbleweed bouncing off the windscreen. Yet the bands confidence and immense self belief in themselves has never been in doubt. Never more seemingly than how they break the rules with a seven minute opener for their third album. A mark that proves the strong faith they have in their own sound and lyrical evidence of their stubborn self assured attitude. In the beautifully titled ‘Knocked up’ Celeb outlines his desire to have a baby with his cow girl despite family objections ‘I don’t care what nobody says I’m gonna be her lover’.
Not even their decision to save a small carpet factory by having haircuts and grooming facial fluff has halted KOL’s deserved rise. Sure I quite miss their forward thinking 70’s porn star look but Celebs husky growl is enough to make any music lover sodden. Never more so than in hit single ‘Charmer’ where the post sentence smokers scream sounds like either an overwhelming ejaculation or a groupie slicing off his penis before he’s had chance to unload. Either way it’s sexual. The albums name ‘because of the times’ stems from the Southern preacher’s conference the three brothers and cousin used to attend. In fact a buffalo size bulk of the LP centers around a preacher background or not so innocent girls. The most obvious being ‘On call’ where support and reassurance prevail ‘one and all to be there/and when I fall to pieces/lord you know I’ll be there waiting’ and in album Ballard ‘The runner’. If anything it’s a varied piece of work. ‘My party’ relies on more bass than a boy racers sound system, ‘Mcfearless’ is built around a wall of guitars and there’s even an attempt at folk style ska in ‘Ragoo’. Three years after previous album ‘Aha shake heartbreak’ boasted about tales regarding the bands beloved shenanigans with groupies and there’s even room here to pay tribute to the ‘Fans’ that adore them, particularly in England. ‘All of London sing/because England swings and they sure love the tales I bring/those raining days they ain’t so bad when you’re the king’.
The Kings of Leon have compiled an album that is remarkably easy to listen to from start to finish, although the first half awakens the adrenalin slightly more than the latter. They’re still no frills and the sound has matured… this is Kings of Leon on Viagra.
Written by Simon for UKEvents.net |
|
