Song, by Toad

When they first emerged Kings of Leon were described as ‘The Southern Strokes’. I never thought twice about it at the time, but the two bands have followed oddly similar career trajectories. Both released initial albums that were good, but not much better than that and second albums that were largely disappointing. Generally I preferred the Kings’ output considerably in the earlier years, although I was by no means what you’d call a really committed fan.

Then, last year, The Strokes released an absolutely scorching third album completely out of the blue that absolutely knocked spots off anything they had done before. Accordingly, The Kings of Leon have now followed them with their own third album that, although by no means as good, represents a similarly major step forward for a one-time buzz band struggling to extricate themselves from the musical cul-de-sac in which they had found themselves trapped.

It’s by no means ground-breaking, this one, and all the trademark Southern rock sounds are entirely present and accounted for as you might expect. The difference, again mirroring that of The Strokes, is the ragged, venomous edge that has appeared from nowhere to suddenly give the music real bite. Because of the Times is a little inconsistent, and nothing like as good as First Impressions of Earth, but there are quite a few tracks with real tension and snarl to them that comfortably eclipse anything the Kings of Leon have done before. I very, very pleasantly surprised. It’s not exactly a masterpiece, but it’s a real album, this.

Kings of Leon – Charmer
Kings of Leon – McFearless

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Don’t expect those songs to stay up for long. The RIAA were waving their dicks about like junior toyshop truncheons when the pre-release tracks for this album leaked, so they aren’t at all unlikely to jump all over this with all the giddy enthusiasm of an ageing bitch drunk with the joys of Spring.

They’re so piteous, the RIAA. They’ve absolutely no idea what they’re supposed to be doing, nor the first, tiniest little clue how to go about doing it so they just stumble blindly around the internets, randomly swinging their stick at anything they can see, without the faintest twinkling of an inkling as to what they’re trying to achieve. A bit like a big strong boy with learning disabilities who just breaks a teapot because it confuses him and that makes him cross, despite not having any real idea what he’s cross about.