RCA; Release date: April 3, 2007
The Deal: Three Nashville brothers, and a cousin, continue down their rock road.
The Good: Kings of Leon have been impressing listeners with their own take on the whole retro-rock movement. Like The Strokes, Kings have a style that’s hard to place in a genre or even a decade. The brothers Followill and their cousin don’t stray far from their previous efforts on this latest release. It’s steady, yet sleepy, and perfect for a drive down a rural road. You’d better settle in if you plan on making it through the first track, “Knocked Up” — a seven-minute rumbler with a harmonic riff. Though the band stays rocking on the straight and mellow for most of the album’s 13 tracks, they do find moments to kick it up — see “Black Thumbnail.”
The Bad: Make sure you’re seated when the second track, “Charmer,” kicks off. If you aren’t prepared for it, Followill’s screeches may knock you off your chair, or just plain scare the hell out of you. (Don’t worry, it usually only happens on first listen.)
The Verdict: It’s mellow stoner rock that’s steeped in Southern hemp juice. The band found a formula with their 2003 debut, Youth & Young Manhood, and “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” There’s the usual maturity that you’d find on a band’s third album, but the Kings benefited by not having a sophomore slump.
This article appears in Apr 18-24, 2007.
