By admin
Kings Of Leon are back with their seventh album WALLS, and with pictures emerging that looked like they came fresh from a 1975 shoot, fans were understandably dubious to see if Kings Of Leon had delved deeper into the pop genre they have experimented with before (which received a mixed response). However, WALLS is very much classic Kings Of Leon yet it exhibits how much the band has changed since they were first introduced 13 years ago.
The aforementioned pop alarm bells were set ringing once again when details emerged of Markus Dravs who has worked with the likes of Mumford & Sons and Coldplay, but it adds an interesting dimension to the band and allows them to move away from the very systematic, stadium pop-rock sound of the last few previous attempts in favour of something a bit different.
The opener of WALLS, Waste A Moment is a flurry of quick lyrics and a massive chorus and is undoubtedly one of the more punchier tracks. Almost a homage to their garage rock roots whilst still displaying similarities to Sex On Fire, but it has its own flare and stylistic approach. The vivacious energy continues throughout Reverend, Around The World and Find Me. Things take a sinister turn during Over, an almost suicidal tale of the pressures of fame and celebrity lifestyle.
However, it retains the retro 80’s like electro beats that become practically a trend of WALLS resulting in a bizarre sound. Guitars are at the forefront of many of WALLS tracks, repeated riffs and echoing rhythms. Around The World is an upbeat, energetic track that relies heavily on the buoyant instrumentals to remain interesting. Of course, Caleb Followill’s iconic and recognisable vocal ability is very much a highlight of WALLS, as he has the ability to turn an average song into a very good song with his raspy, adaptable sound. Another criticism that is often thrown at Kings Of Leon is their reliance on ballad-style tracks, yet this doesn’t really apply to WALLS as the only real ballad is the song of the same name, and it works perfectly as a gentle album closer that cements a return for Kings Of Leon.
In many ways, there’s nothing particularly ground-breaking about WALLS but it does well not to retread the familiar generic styles of previous Kings of Leon albums attempts. It’s a good album, and whilst it has attracted the cynical criticism that comes from any King Of Leon news it is solid throughout, and remains fresh enough for the ten songs to stay enjoyable.
Kings Of Leon have also announced three UK tour dates to accompany the album in Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Glasgow, whilst there are no Southern venues there is currently no news of summer dates, leaving festival season very much open in Kings Of Leon’s diary.
