Kings of Leon has been torn apart, loved, scoffed at, and kicked to the curb. Just as any well deserving boy’s rock band with a story should.
The band’s newest edition to their impressive discography, Come Around Sundown, was released October 19.
I was lucky enough to see Kings of Leon in concert last month, and there they premiered some of their songs on their album.
Come Around Sundown may not be as powerful as Kings of Leon’s last album, Only by the Night, but it is refreshingly different. The Followill boys prove their strong identity within the rock world.
The single that has recently had a music video released, “Radioactive,” features an impressive combination of choir, drum mania, bass solos, and smiles. The video will make anyone smile, showing the Kings enjoying an outdoor day with a bunch of kids. Who doesn’t like a song about coming together for the better with a video of some rock stars running around with kites or fishing?
Potentially my favorite track on the entire album is “Mary.” Being a sucker for anything with a soulful blues feel, the second the track starting with Matt’s cheeky guitar and playful “ahh’s” really appealed to me. Caleb Followill can’t even put his feelings into words when he sings about a complete infatuation with a certain girl who enjoyed dancing at the disco.
Instead, the song bounces along with a “ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ahhh.” While Caleb is scrunching up his brows to sing this out, cousin Matt is stealing the show with an incredibly clean guitar solo and background singing. It was a good thing I was in the front row of the pit for their show I went to in August because when my knees buckled during this song, the rail in front of me was a useful hand hold.
“Pony Up” has a fun drum sound paired with a steady bass line, making it exceptional car singing music. The story of the band’s carefree crazy lifestyles is portrayed through the song.
The witty side of Caleb comes out when he says “I got a razor sharp mind that wants to cut you down” and tells the listener they have to “pony up” if they want to keep up with him. Caleb croons that the wild and crazy party lifestyle of rock stars is something that takes getting used.
The final song of the album, “Pickup Truck,” was another surprise gem of the show I went to in August. This song showcases the sound fans have come to love from Kings. Caleb’s voice has the perfect balance of stress, whine, and pleading. Caleb seems to be apologizing for some sort of fight he got into, a not so rare occurrence in this rowdy boy’s life.
However, fans have to question why he would apologize for being “so emotional,” getting “physical,” or even taking a bloody mouth just to let his girl know he was “thinking of her.” The title of the song sounds like it comes from the insult “you say you call that a pickup truck,” that Caleb threw out to start the fight. This song makes any listener, boy or girl, feel like they should have a buff southern friend out there fighting for them.
Come Around Sundown is an album to buy and listen to over and over. The Followill family has shown they are here to stay with this newest release speaking so personally and candidly about life and experiences. I’m thankful I was able to experience a few of these tracks live over the summer because it allowed me to preview what is sure to be an exciting year of new touring and music from the new Kings of rock ‘n’ roll.
Allison Siegel cna be reached for comment at [email protected]