4/5 stars.
release date: October 19, 2010.
Come Around Sundown, the fifth studio album from Southern rockers, Kings of Leon, was easily my most anticipated album of the year. Its predecessor, Only by the Night will likely be one of my favorite albums of all time until the day I die and continues to blow me away every single time I listen to it, even two years after its release. Consequently, the Tennessee-native Followill brothers (and cousin) set the bar sky high for themselves while writing and recording the followup to their most commercially successful record.
Only a few songs into the record, it becomes apparent that the 13-track release was carefully crafted to be a crowd pleaser, bridging the gap between the raw, disheveled garage-rock sound of earlier albums like Aha Shake Heartbreak and the crisp, clean and calculated mainstream sound of Only by the Night. Where old school KOL fans were disappointed by the pop percussion of “Sex on Fire” and the squeaky-clean, though still authentic vocals of “Use Somebody,” they’ll find themselves pleased with new tracks like “No Money,” a gritty, guitar-driven tune where Caleb Followill‘s vocals sound lazy and unrehearsed, but soulful enough to convince the audience of his longing when he repeats, “I got no money/But I want you so.” Fans of the band’s poppier, mainstream sound will find solace in songs like “Pony Up,” an undeniably poppy melody reminiscent of summer. If it wasn’t for C. Followill’s unique croon, this song could find itself right at home on an All American Rejects record.
The bass-heavy opening track, ironically titled “The End” begins with an immediately catchy, thumping beat that resolves into perfectly balanced verses and a simple chorus: “this could be the end,” echoed by the same hazy and almost hypnotizing guitar effects used on many tracks on OBTN, like “Closer.” Though “The End” isn’t as epic of an opener as “Closer” was, it’s easily a favorite, along with the head bob-inducing “Mi Amigo” and “Mary,” in which the Followills take a stab at a rockabilly sound.
On the other hand, there are a handful of songs on Come Around Sundown that are complete misses. “Radioactive,” the album’s lead single is unbelievably simple and very unimaginative, especially for KOL. Additionally, after multiple listens, songs like “Beach Side” and “Birthday” can barely be recalled, with the exception of the less than impressive lyrical content of “Birthday.” The country genre is very hard for me to swallow in general, so “Back Down South,” a very country-driven ballad where the heavy guitars are replaced with a fiddle, hasn’t sat well with me either.
Come Around Sundown isn’t quite as genius as the last one from Kings of Leon, but it’s an undeniably solid album that has something for everyone.
favorites: “Pickup Truck” – Gorgeous melody with soft verses and an explosive chorus. Wonderful way to finish off the album.
“The Immortals” – This song is kind of a mess. Bass-heavy verses to groove to and a chorus that completely contradicts said verses- it’s epic in an Aerosmith, power ballad kind of way. I love the mix.
Catch ‘em on SNL this weekend!
xx K
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