Kings of Leon- Come Around Sundown

On album number five, the Followills are stuck in a rut…

Kings of Leon have had a revelatory couple of years. Fourth album Only By The Night saw the strongest shift yet away from their Southern-fried Strokes sound to songs epic in scope and chorus.

Singles Sex On Fire and Use Somebody were the biggest of 2008 AND 9, and global stadiums beckoned. In traditional indie style, the band stomped around like petulant teenagers, bemoaning their new fans and clearly uncomfortable with this new level of success. Surely this should be their Kid A moment.

What’s most surprising about Come Around Sundown is that it further explores the stadium rock of its predecessor. Lead single Radioactive is the most ambitious piece here, carrying guitars that would make The Edge weak-kneed, while jarringly pleading, “It’s where you came from”. Aside from being unable to get that absurd video off the brain, it all just feels a little half-arsed, and herein lies the problem.

It starts in enough style though. Come Around Sundown follows the tradition of Kings starting albums with a bang. The End has stadium ambition in heaps, but Matthew Followill’s guitar work is at its most swampy and interesting here.

From here, it tumbles sharply downhill, leaving a once exciting band resting hopelessly on their laurels. Tracks like Mary and The Face are plodding-paced dirge. They feature impressive and technical guitar work, and a strong rhythm section in Jared and Nathan, but it all lacks the excitement of the band at the best.

The absolute nadir is Back Down South. It is at least brave as a trip into Good Ol’ Southern country music. Brave, yes, but utterly toe-curling. Clearly aiming for an artist like Loretta Lynn, but ends up far closer to Billy Ray Cyrus gone soft, all with a hideous “Come on down and dance/If you get the chance” lyric by Caleb.

No Money, Birthday and Pony Up bring the album back in line with Aha Shake Heartbreak-era greatness, all dirty guitars and debauched, filthy songwriting (“Come on legs and pantyhose/You look so pretty with your bloody nose” from Birthday).

But the cavalry arrives far too late. The success of previous albums and singles guarantees that this will be an enormous, global record, but this remains an album that Caleb Followill and family could have made in their sleep.

2/5

Essential Tracks:

The End

Birthday

No Money