A Few Words on... King of Leon - WALLS

Whilst Kings of Leon have been nothing short of a major success story (with five consecutive number one's in the UK anyway), whether it's their more mainstream sound or the fact that their last two albums have been progressively decreasing in quality has rubbed people up the wrong way.

When I was first listening to WALLS (deceitfully ditching the five syllable titles of all albums previous, until you find out it stands for "We All Like Love Songs"), it was early on with Reverend that I realised how much I like the band. Sure, it's reminiscent of songs like Pyro and Mary but musically bleaker, but their constant formula of sing-along choruses with equally catchy tunes have made them endearing.

WALLS is a thankful return to the form and easily the band's best effort since Only by the Night; a much tighter and concise record built upon catchy chorus and made for live performances than the previous two albums.

The singles as expected are earworms but the album cuts are just as interesting and enjoyable. Over in particular, whilst stylistically similar to Milk and Crawl, is six minutes of excellent rock with a thick bass and catchy chorus. Conversation Piece towards the end is a slower build but again, is saved by a good chorus that makes the five minutes tolerable.

Whilst a tad simplistic and nothing revolutionary, it's an easy and enjoyable listen and one that, if you're a fan of the band's more mainstream sound and can ignore/forgive the band ditching their more grittier and untamed routes; WALLS is another good collection of songs in the band's extensive back catalogue with some new favourites along with some nice surprises.

7/10

H

@Retcon_Nation