Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times - Review

I think it is important to start this off by saying that KOL are one of the bands from the indie-related revival (started circa 2001 thanks to The Strokes) that I actually like.
That has made reviewing this album somewhat difficult. The reason for that is that while I am disappointed with this record overall, I strive to commend them on the strong points within the 13-track frame.

I was introduced to this intriguing band by one of my best friends; although their constant exposure on MTV shortly after the release of their raw, dirty-swamp rock debut: "Youth and Young Manhood" had made me aware of who they were. In time, I came to enjoy that album and the follow-up, "Aha Shake Heartbreak" as two of my favorite modern rock records, period.
What has confused me somewhat, however, is that the band have been lumped in with the rest of the MTV2 fodder (Remember The Hives??) while clearly being cut from a more superior cloth.

While the first release established the gutsy, Southern-fried sound of KOL & the sophomore album showcased a more diverse and musically mature outfit; the latest album is somewhat of an enigma to me.

Caught somewhere between trying to shed the tag of a punky, fuzz-inflected Creedence and simultaneously trying to infuse more varied elements into their music; "Because Of The Times" comes off as an unfinished, stumbling experiment. That is not to say that the album feels incomplete, but rather that the new direction KOL are striving to push themselves in (and kudos to them for making the effort) remains under-developed. As if where they are going musically is a destination they have not arrived at just yet.
We, the listeners will have a better idea of where/what that place is on the next album.

With that said, the album has clear highlights (along with a lot of average tracks) such as opener "Knocked Up", a reverb-laden tale of eloping with one's baby mama; no matter who objects. Within the first minute of this track, old-school KOL fans will realize they are about to hear something different from the more concise delivery of the first two records : The lack of a defined song structure and no relying on a lo-fi sound. Not to mention opening the record with a 7-minute track is a welcome 'fuck-you' to all bands concerned with commercial radio-play.

Somewhat typical of a band's third album, straightaway the experimentation factor is evident. Not so much because the sound appears to be bigger, but more because the sound has been more meticulously worked than on previous KOL.
From the slow-burn of "Knocked Up" to the crunching, screeching (literally, Caleb's voice box must have hurt doing the takes for that one) muddy thrash of "Charmer"; KOL assure their loyal fanbase that they haven't ditched their temper altogether.
An abrupt ending to "Charmer" takes us directly to a winding synth with Caleb's tear-jerking vocal and the bassline of "On Call" which sounds like it may have been lifted from The Doors' stomper "Five to One".
Once more, the time taken over the SOUND of the band is evident, with the rapid decay on Caleb's shouts of 'Be There!' and the distortion of Jared's bass tone. This track also shows my main issue with this album, which is that it tentatively suggests a number of ways it could turn before copping out and taking none of them.
Onto one of the more interesting tracks, "McFearless" which opens with the main fuzzed-out riff (layered with a higher, wah-covered guitar) and a half-time drum beat from the underrated Nathan Followill. All the elements suggest it will be a strong point on the album until the chorus descends into archetypal stadium rock. Perhaps its saving grace is the drum break in between the 2nd and 3rd chorus, with a delay-ridden snare pattern; before the song peters out into feedback.
Perhaps the best cut off the record arrives next, with the excellent title of "Black Thumbnail". Taking just the right amount of time to build up to the meat of the song with a chiming guitar and naked vocals, this is where KOL really excel. All four members are on form here but Caleb takes the limelight with his piercing voice and excellent lyrics
("From runways to the road, I ramble alone/ This thumbnail-sized heart is black as coal")
and the song reaches a nice climax with a wailing guitar interlude from the ever-improving Matthew.
From a contender for best track to a contender for most confused track, "My Party"'s dancefloor shuffle is parading as sinister with its boomy bassline and reversed guitar licks but is too reminiscent of the likes of Panic at the Disco and CSS to be taken seriously, even if KOL rock it way better than those *cough* 'bands' *cough* and the drum breakdown with "oooh's" is rather unnecessary.
From here on in, the album become less and less cogent, with "True Love Way" suffering from an overly-formulaic approach (power chords + disenfranchised love story) and "Ragoo"'s reggae-tinged rhythm not gelling with its half-time chorus; although it showcases more vocal prowess from Caleb Followill.
"Fans" is another plus-moment on the record, with the acoustic guitar providing perfect foil for a reflective, vulnerable vocal; with an air of joy and delusion all at once. This feeling is perhaps best captured by the shout-out to London "All the rainy days, they ain't so bad when you're the King".
The slow waltz of "Runner" is the big brother of "Rememo" from their second album, and serves as a decent example of how KOL can retain their balance between swamp-swagger and tearful honesty even on slower-paced numbers.
A few shades better is "Trunk", featuring spaghetti-western guitars and surprisingly smooth bass. A substantial helping of delay is used on both the lead guitar melody and the vocals, but it is nothing less than fitting as it descends into the beautifully-haunting chorus of "oooh's" as the band switches between both sections with an ease and grace not usually associated with KOL.
The penultimate number is "Camaro", suitably titled when one hears its driving pulse and would be perfect for a cruise with a catchy guitar melody and another insisting guitar interlude (Matthew Followill's lead style could not really be described as soloing as it generally revolves around the song).
Album closer "Arizona" is vintage KOL end of album material; similar to "Talahina Sky" off Y&YM and "Where Nobody Knows" from ASH. The tempo is brought right down to emphasize the maturity of the music, as has been the trend for the band since their earlier, raucous, misbehaving days. Slowly unfolding and pensive, the guitar melody precedes the vocal line as Caleb recounts yet another tale of a woman he may or may not have carnal knowledge of; we are merely left with snapshots from his memories of time spent with the woman in question; as the track culminates in the only real guitar solo on the album and dwindles off into the distance, not really ever saying goodbye.

At the beginning of this album review I stated that "Because Of The Times" was an album I did NOT like, while in reality, it is the patchiness of the album that has failed to endear it to me. Sure, it had weak, predictable moments; but it also had some very interesting sections and at times, demonstrates poignance and real musical growth from the four relatives from Nashville.

It may certainly grow on me, but given the consistency of the previous two KOL releases and how immediate my enjoyment of them was, I have to be critical of this record. Its experimentation (which is a positive as it means the band are not willing to let their "sound" be the only musical method they can be defined by) means that it sacrifices a coherent presentation; but such is the nature of 80 percent of bands' third albums'. To put it in perspective alongside peers of theirs, they did a whole lot better than The Strokes third effort; but both albums would have benefited from the culling of three or four tracks.

Here's hoping the 4th album presents a more well-travelled cousin of this rambling, sporadic bastard child.


"We, New York the narcotic, strength in metal & fibre optics, where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips, for profits, thirsty crimi-nals dig pockets, hard knuckles on the second-hand of working class watches, skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options..." - Mighty Mos Def