Kings of Leon’s latest album is an awesome anomaly from this decade’s musical trends
Posted on September 24, 2007
Ah, renewed faith! I had started to seriously question the future of rock-and-roll until I heard Kings of Leon. The southern-bred quartet reminds listeners not to confuse Nickelback for true rock-and-roll. My affinity for rock and roll started with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jackson Brown vinyls. I’d sit next to the record player flipping sides until I fell asleep and awoke to the sound of the needle ticking.
My first introduction to my generation’s music was an Ace of Base tape and the rewind function of walkman. Next came Jagged Little Pill in CD form and with the ability to skip there was no need to listen to all the songs. Technology didn’t make music better, just more convenient. The beauty of the record player is that there isn’t a shuffle, repeat, fast forward or rewind function. I’d listen to the whole album as it told a story.
The smell and feel of vinyl is lost on a culture obsessed with singles, diets and packaging everything in plastic. However, Kings of Leon’s latest album, Because of the Times, is a refreshing divergence from the whining anthem of an over-privileged audience and seemingly self-loathing musicians. They are reminiscent of the 1970s when bands didn’t make music to cater to the largest market segment, but rather focused on originality and making music for the sake of music.
The band’s sound is rooted in lead vocalist, Caleb Followill’s, ability to narrate the guitar riffs. Rather than using his Steven Tyler-esque histrionics to dominate, there is a balance between the music and vocals, in a dialogue that doesn’t require a response. The lyrical story unfolds with tempo changes, backup vocalists and electronic and acoustic variations. “On Call” and “True Love Way” illustrate the band’s ability to fuse slow baseline development with bursts of rock punctuated by its southern twang.
“Ragoo” breaks from the bluesy tunes and tambourine calamity of the 2005 album “Aha Shake Heartbreak.” On its Web site, drummer Nathan Followill describes the band’s growth.
“We weren’t scared to try anything. I think that’s the difference between this album and the last. We weren’t timid at all. Every song showed us something we had inside of ourselves that we didn’t know existed, which enabled us to be even bolder on the next song,” said Followill.
Because of the Times is a testament to the versatile musicianship of Kings of Leon. They break from the structure of pop music (two lines, chorus, two lines) in favor of patterns, rhythms and silences that create mystery in songs like “Knocked Up.” The quieter moments allow listener appreciation for the individual contributions from the rhythm guitar, bass and drums.
Kings of Leon represents the difference between good because it’s popular and being popular because it’s great. Perhaps I can look forward to my children discovering this hidden treasure in my iTunes collection.
Kings of Leon headline, with opening acts Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Simple Kid, at the Charlottesville Pavilion on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007.
Kate Griendling is a senior communications major.
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