Kings Of Leon - 'Because Of The Times' (Columbia) Released 02/04/07

Kings of Leon’s relatively glossy second album ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ was rightfully perceived as a step sideways from their gnarly debut ‘Youth And Young Manhood.’ Still a great record, the main critique fired at it was that it didn’t really tread any new furrows or offer anything fresh. Indeed, it was more of a continuation rather than a transgression. Now, with ‘Because Of The Times’, the four Followills have emphatically blown away any doubts about their artistic integrity and created their most harmonious, complete and ambitious work yet.  

Clocking in at over seven minutes, sprawling album opener ‘Knocked Up’ is easily one of the band’s defining moments so far. Patiently building, Caleb’s typical emotionally wrought vocals narrate a tale of passionate youthful love and a couple desperate to, well have a sprog together, despite the hurdles they face: “I don't care what nobody says, no, I'm going to be her lover, Always mad and usually drunk, But I love her like no other.” It’s a perfect blast of Whiskey drenched romantic Americana and at points is startling beautiful. As if to purposely obliterate the sentiment, the band then unleash the .phping ‘Charmer’ – a cocksure blast of looming basslines, uncompromising beats, power chords and Caleb’s unfathomably high (and rather painful sounding) yelps, it’s the complete antithesis of the opening track and all the more genius for it.

The overriding success of the album is the fact that it has strength in depth and embraces a variety of styles. Single (and yet another standout moment) ‘On Call’ is all hazy atmospherics before the meat of the tune comes in oozing muscle and catchy as hell chords and melodies. During the opening seconds, ‘McFearless’ sounds as though it’s going to be a bog-standard Kings of Leon tune, that is until we reach the wide–eyed and (dare we say it) arena consuming chorus, ‘Ragoo’ is unadulterated uindie-pop, while ‘My Party’ boasts plenty of androgynous “oooo’s” and fuck loads of funk. They can be consummately affecting too, as on the emotional ode ‘Runner.’

If we were being pedantic, we could say that ‘Because Of The Times’ is by no means a perfect record and list the odd flaw – for example, despite its energy ‘Black Thumbnail’ is no more than a good ole’ fashioned blues-tinged knees up et al. But somehow, knitted together these tracks make for an impossibly cohesive work that demands to be listened to on heavy rotation. Moments like the gorgeous ‘Homegrown’, ‘True Love Way’ and the lilting finale ‘Arizona’ (an ode to a state the band are famously in love with)  are nothing short of classic stuff. Indeed, the ultimate track perfectly exhibits the kind of headspace the band are at at the moment, with Caleb beckoning “Stand up to a giant, say that I’m a fighter / And too drunk to remember.” Yes, they are full of confidence and the top of their art, but intrinsically very human too.