Kings Of Leon Come Around

Kings Of Leon had a historic 2008 and 2009. For a band that has been on the scene since 1999, they were due for their big break. Turns out their big break may have just been the biggest break for a band in the last 10 years. The group's 2008 studio effort, Only By The Night, could have easily been the album of the year and it did win awards for song and record of the year. Tracks like Sex On Fire and Use Somebody tore up the charts month after month for most of 2009. Couple all of that with a world tour, a headlining slot at Lollapalooza, and the transformation from underground bar band to household name, and you get one of the most meteoric rises in recent rock history.

With success though comes expectations. But lets be honest. Would it be feasible for anyone to top the kind of success Kings Of Leon had in 2009? Unless you are Taylor Swift, probably not. So, lets just get it out there right away. Kings Of Leon's newest record, Come Around Sundown, is not as good as Only By The Night. It probably isn't even in the same universe as that record. But, that doesn't make it bad.

And it isn't bad. Come Around has some really great songs and fits together nicely as a 13 track record. It kicks off with a slower balladish tune in The End. It picks up for the next few with the first single, Radioactive, Pyro, and Mary. All three were songs that the group road tested towards the end of their 2010 summer tour. From their we get a "live it up" song in Immortals that features some great guitar playing from Matthew Followill. Matthew's guitar is prevalent on virtually every track and is a true high point of the album.

Other song highlights on the record include Back Down South, a country twanging ode to the "good ol days" in Tennesse (which is where the band members grew up). The albums best song is Pony Up, a tragic bar fight love tale. Lyrically, it is pretty simple and to the point, but musically, the various guitar riffs, stifling bass guitar, and patterned drums make it a very interesting and fun listen.

As a whole, Caleb Followill's lyrics are relatively simple all the way through the album. In songs like The End and Pickup Truck he reaches out for a little more and while he succeeds, its as clear as day he won't be becoming the Bob Dylan of our generation any time soon.

Come Around Sundown is a good album, but it is also a safe album. On this follow-up record, it is obvious Kings Of Leon was not interested in drawing a new line in the sand or expanding their musical focus. Come Around is a lot like Only By The Night in that it appeals to many ears and is easy to listen to. Why isn't it as good then? Because Only By The Night was the first of its kind and Come Around Sundown is a carbon copy. It would have been nice to see the Followill's take their music in a more challenging direction. After seeing Kings Of Leon twice in the past year, my fear always was that they would become a new version of an arena rock type band. Come Around Sundown lends more credibility to that fear.

As the years go on, we'll see exactly what kind of band Kings Of Leon morphs into. In the meantime, any follow-up to Only By The Night would have been highly criticized one way or another. Come Around Sundown can stare all the criticism in the eye as it is simply a fun and enjoyable record. Nothing more, nothing less.