I have been listening to Kings of Leon ever since about 7th grade, so for around seven years now. To be fair, I didn’t really make the “dive” into music until a few years ago, but that is beside the point. The thing is, Kings of Leon was always that one hit wonder band for me. They are probably most recognized for their single “Use Somebody” on the album Only By the Knight. I really do hate it when I miss the complete picture behind a bands’ artwork. Instead of appreciating the entire painting, I was content with one section that seemed to be so pretty.
Kings of Leon released the album “Walls” in 2016 following their successful album “Mechanical Bull”. When I compare the two albums, I think they sound somewhat similar but still hold their own differences. Walls still holds that same Kings of Leon “sound” that alternative rock mixed with a bit of pop. It really resembles the sounds of bands like The Killers or Catfish and the Bottlemen. A pretty consistent drum beat throughout most of the songs accompanies by an also consistent baseline. They have their occasional guitar solo and what not, but nothing too special.
Although it might not be considered “art” from legends like David Bowie or Stevie Ray Vaughn, every band has their own type of style. You have to love what the Kings of Leon are doing, its catchy music with quality lyrics. I didn’t think the album to be anything to lose your mind over, as it actually was kind of standard as far as their creativity goes. You kind of would’ve hoped that they would’ve released something a little less “commercial” and more experimental, but then again I’m not complaining.
The album had some great singles. Personally, I really enjoyed the singles; over, muchacho, and conversation piece. Not only because they are conveniently in order, but because I thought they represented a good mix of what the album is trying to portray. I thought muchacho was a very cool song to put on this kind of album. It opens up with instrumentals that make you feel like you’re at a beach or something accompanied by a beautiful lead guitar. It is this kind of experimenting that I hope to see in future albums by the band. Overall, I thought it to be a great album and I plan on analyzing some of the album’s singles in later articles.
