Kings of Leon

No Kings of Leon photo would be complete without some half-empty beer bottles, a smattering of cigarette butts, and a wardrobe of impossibly skinny jeans. In interviews, the band speaks of debauched parties, booze benders, and the trails of broken hearts they've left behind. Quite frankly, they just don't make rock stars like the Followill boys anymore.

Yet, despite being notoriously rough around the edges, Kings of Leon sound increasingly polished on their third album, Because of the Times. The Southern heirs to the rock throne have often been simplified as the Strokes-meet-the Allman Brothers, but Times indicates a broader more complex reach in their arena rock ambitions. Doing away with the intentional muddiness of their first two records (2003's Youth & Young Manhood and 2005's Aha Shake Heartbreak), the Followills burnish their songs with an anthemic sheen.

The opening song, "Knocked Up," clocks in at a bold seven minutes as the Kings employ the type of echoey guitar reverb generally heard on gloomy British records. "Charmer" is a bass-heavy, Pixies-style punk song that emphasizes Caleb's recurring (and mildly annoying) vocal squeals—but ultimately, it's probably how Black Francis would've sang it. The first single, "On Call," sees the badass, emotionally distant rock band playing earnest, as the boys convince themselves with the refrain ("I'm on call / to be there") that commitment while on tour is still possible.

Toward the end, Times begins to feel overly long, but at least a half-dozen of the earlier songs in the 13-track sequence are strong and aurally sophisticated, proving the Followills aren't just party boys. Rather, Kings of Leon have grown admirably into their role as men—albeit, party men.

- Arye Dworken
04.03.07

Leaning even further toward a kind of post-punk meets prog rock aesthetic than on their first two albums, Nashville-based Kings of Leon have crafted a darker, less pop-oriented and somewhat cerebral affair with 2007's Because of the Times. In fact, if Alan Parsons lent the Allman Brothers his spaceship, Because of the Times would be the resulting space odyssey. While that leads to some intriguing moments, the general move away from strong, hooky choruses to a focus on expansive, intricate and percussive arrangements may challenge casual and even some longtime fans of the band's catchy, Southern garage rock twang. That said, cuts like the atmospheric and brooding lead-off track "Knocked Up" showcase lead-singer Caleb Followill's growing maturity as a singer and lyricist and bring to mind favorable comparisons to such artists as Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. Similarly, the moody single "On Call" as well as the roiling, dramatic "McFearless," while not immediately hummable, do sink into your memory revealing layers of melody and emotion on repeated listens. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide