26 October 2010
The only similarity the family Followill have in common with the Kings Of Leon of ‘08, is the latest album’s title, Come Around Sundown, which sticks to the five-syllable rule found in their past four releases.
Leaving behind singer Caleb Followill’s inaudible slur and the slow rock darkness of the album’s predecessor, Come Around Sundownwill be praised by those who don’t think 2008’s Only By The Night was the bands debut.
The first track is amusingly titled The End, delivering the softness ofUse Somebody without the ego. The lead guitar takes a backseat and the lyrics are earnest about the struggles of touring, Caleb’s trademark wail is still there but it’s more controlled and refined.
The first released single, Radioactive is the standalone track on the record. The choir backing and fast-paced chord progressions juxtaposed with Caleb’s bluesy hysteria, although repetitive, make for a bitchin’ driving track.
The other 12 songs seem to weave into one another. The sad, soulful moans of Pyro and The Face, along with the brooding bass in tracks like Mary and Beach Side where the bass is plucked like a lead guitar, all fuse together until you’re already eight tracks in and thinking about what’s in the fridge.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Come Around Sundown can be played from start to finish, its atmospheric qualities bleeding into the background if you let it. However, if you listen closely to Caleb’s agonised lyrics and tone, you’ll see the record with new eyes. In Mi Amigo he sings “My little friend shoots me up and downtown, when I can’t get me drunk enough,” and for final track Pickup Truck Caleb sings about the violence of jealousy, “A little piece of a bloody tooth, just so you know I was thinking of you.”
On the surface, Sundown appears lacklustre, but hear the band out and you’ll find a nostalgic, unrepentant core. KOL have bared their soul and included all the ugly bits.
No comments:
Post a Comment