Kings of Leon are one of those bands that divide listeners: reviews of their 2008 release Only by the Night were radically disjointed, with the likes of NME praising the album whilst Pitchfork scrutinised it. The band that released a stream of Southern Rock albums early into their career seemed far different to the dark magicians at work in Only by the Night, and tracks such as “Use Somebody” could have easily been the work of another, perhaps less well-established band.
Come Around Sundown is in some ways a return to their old style – lead single “Radioactive” has a Garage Rock sound to it, as do many of the tracks available here, and also serves as one of the strongest tracks on the album. With a prominent bass-line, a memorable chorus and some great vocal harmonies, Kings of Leon seem tighter than ever before, capable of crafting a decent pop song that also rocks.
If only the same could be said of the entire album. Caleb Followill’s voice can at times be easy to tolerate, but too often do his vocals become ugly. The chorus on “Pyro” eliminates any sincerity that the otherwise pleasant song would have delivered, with Caleb’s voice sounding too strained. Likewise, “Mary” features the usual voice-break at times that Caleb has occasionally demonstrated in the past. There’s something awkward about his vocal delivery, which can at times alienate the listener.
Less alienating is the music itself, which has a raw feel to it that their over-produced previous album lacked. There are chugging guitar solos that flow rather than dominate, and a great sense of groove and rhythm between percussion and bass on the faster tracks that show how much fun the Followill boys were having during the albums inception. They are at their strongest when melody takes control: “Beach Side” sounds like a wonderful tribute to driving beside a sunny beach, remaining incredibly lush throughout without the need to break down into any great, predictable chorus. If Sundown had remained in this key throughout, perhaps the album would have been stronger as a whole.
There’s certainly a more Southern-feel to this album than the Kings of Leon have been demonstrating recently, and fans of their older records may appreciate this. “Mi Amigo” has a swagger to it and a country-tinged guitar that returns the Followill clan to their roots. Album closer “Pickup Truck” is tender, placing instrumentation at a low volume, with occasional bursts of sound at just the right times. What ensues is an album with an arguably stronger second half; a rare occurrence in mainstream music. Kings of Leon could have been onto something rather splendid here, if only they had avoided placing a few average, vocal-heavy tracks early into the listing. As the album stands, it may exhaust a listener before the final track runs through its course; a pity, as Come Around Sundown shines like a ray of light before the end.
