Kings of Leon is one of those bands where the name completely misleads the public. When I see a band called Kings of Leon, I think Fountains of Wayne -- new wave/nerd rock. This is one of the main reasons that I have successfully avoided Kings of Leon for several years.
"Sex on Fire" changed all of that.
Per usual, I like to take a listen to the Grammy winners that I haven't heard of to see if they deserved the award, because I'm a snob like that. So I listened to the song that won best rock song by group or duo, and my pre-formed assumptions were blown away. This was no nerd rock. This was something different entirely.
What exactly, even after repeated listens of the album, is harder to define.
It seems that with their latest effort, Kings of Leon have covered most of the different types of music that has been popular over the last 30 years. There are times where you can hear Snow Patrol in their slowly progressing ballads. There is a southern rock bassline in "Revelry" that brings to mind Skynyrd. And at some parts peppered throughout the album are hard rock riffs that sound like a more refined Led Zeppelin. For the most part this mix of musical styles serves well as a pacing through the album.
Then comes their dance obsession, which strikes of the Killers in its ridiculousness.
The real weakness of the entire album is rooted from this: the inability to say anything of substance. Every once in awhile Caleb Followill will hit on something deep, but for the most part it's shallow lyrics about dancing and sex. Sometimes both.
Another weakness is that the album has been stacked in the beginning/middle of the album, leaving the end of the album very thin by comparison. I am usually happy to find three songs in a row that are very good, and in this case there are four: "Sex on Fire," "Use Somebody," "Manhattan," and "Revelry." However, when these four are only four of five good songs of an album are stuck together, it means that the flow of the album will undoubtedly suffer. And that is how Only by the Night goes from "17" onward.
This more than anything is what defines the album. It becomes more of a collection of good songs surrounded by average ones, and less an album. So there's some good stuff to listen to on here by itself, but the ride as a complete CD is lacking, which could be why the CD did not win a Grammy for its complete performance, and only the performance of its single.
Scoring:
Replayability: (17/20) The songs I listed are great songs, and they cover the different moods I am usually in when I want to listen to music. The rest of the album doesn't require many more listens, but I'll keep coming back to tracks 3 through 6.
Music: (17/20) With a lot of different types of songs and an eclectic style, Kings of Leon definitely delivers on all instruments, including the singers' erratic, seemingly out-of-control voice.
Lyrics: (14/20) While not completely mindless, there is something off with a rock singer always talking about his dancing and calling himself a "dancing machine." Plus the lyrics of "Sex on Fire" are downright ridiculous. Kiddie like play? Really?
Completeness: (15/20) While there is a great run of four songs in a row, the overall ending of the album really hurts this score.
Emotional Pull: (14/20) With no really powerful lyrics, there is nothing that really gets the listener pulled into the song, unless you can empathize with finding high school girls attractive like in "17."
Total Score: 77
Grade: C+
While the entire album isn't terrible, it ruins its chance at being a great album by the lethargic end. Still, Kings of Leon has at least put me on notice now: when I hear something new from them, I certainly won't run away like before.
Check, Check Plus, X
Closer √+
Crawl √
Sex on Fire √+
Use Somebody √+
Manhattan √+
Revelry √+
17 √
Notion √
I Want You X
Be Somebody √
Cold Desert √
I should be doing this more often. Music has just not been interesting to me lately. I blame Chad Kroeger.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Album Review: The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me
While I wait for new releases to peak my interest, I will go back to the year 2006, when the New York-based Brand New released their major label debut (third album overall) entitled The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. The reason this is an important album is that it signaled the breaking away from their old style of music and cemented them into this new captivating type of rock that has no name, but is a very powerful listening experience.
Brand New started to experiment with the style of their second CD, Deja Entendu, but the style has taken complete control of Devil and God. By using slow, haunting intros followed by heavy guitars and fast-paced, screaming vocals, Brand New has created a sound that is all its own, and a sound that begs for more listens.
The experience is introduced well in "Sowing Season," which slowly builds with depressing candor until it explodes with a powerful "Yeah" followed by a pulsing guitar riff. This pattern is followed many times during the album, but each time the explosion takes the listener by surprise, immersing them in a feeling of anxiety and rapt attention.
The effect is made even stronger by the lyrics of Jesse Lacey, which typically depict depressing scenes that are far from the immature topics of earlier CDs. With a new sound, it seems the band has developed a new mindset as well. That mindset comes with a lot of doubt, as found in the ballad "Jesus," and it also comes with a Cassandra-like despondent prophecy, evidenced in the crushing "Limousine."
The music isn't just good because of its unexpected bursts, either, as guitarist Vincent Accardi perfectly captures the moods with his unnerving yet satisfying licks. There is a certain objective that the band tries to get forth in every song, and the music goes a long way in helping them accomplish that.
Their experiment only fails in one song, and that is the instrumental "Welcome to Bangkok." Placed in the middle of the CD right between two great songs ("You Won't Know" and "Not the Sun"), the instrumental seems to aimlessly go from slow to fast without any sort of purpose. It almost seemed as if they wanted to make a song out of it but couldn't think of how to make it work, so they just stuck the music there because it sounded cool.
The end of the album isn't nearly as strong as the beginning, but the fun "The Archers Bows Have Broken" and the scary "Handcuffs" are good songs to go out on, although "Handcuffs" is the one song that has less than stunning lyrics. It is a slow fade to an otherwise stellar album, one that takes you for a ride through shrieking vocals, soft moments, and heavy-hitting percussion.
Scoring:
Replayability: (19/20) This album was released two years ago, and I still listen to it very often. I have heard it more than a hundred times, and I know I will hear it another hundred before the CD breaks. There's a lot to get from this album.
Music: (17/20) It isn't as if these guys are the most talented musicians in the world, but what they do is take a song and use their music to create an ambiance that is perfect for the emotion they wish to convey. Through their tactic of going from slow to fast, they hold attention and make the most of it when they get it.
Lyrics: (18/20) From the strong emotions in "Jesus" and "Limousine" to the cold observations of "Millstone," Jesse Lacey's words capture energy and emotion in a special way and force the listener to understand his intentions.
Completeness: (17/20) Even without the momentum-halting "Welcome to Bangkok," the album sort of slips towards the end with songs that don't do much but ride the earlier momentum. However, album through track 6 would probably be one of the best EPs ever made.
Emotional Pull: (18/20) This isn't just because of the lyrics. The entire style of music gets the listener to feel the emotions, whether it be from a great line or a well-placed scream.
Total Score: 89
Grade: B+
With a rumored album coming out in 2009, it will be interesting to see if Brand New can match the high standard they have set for themselves. If they continue to master this style of music, I think there are only good things in the future for them.
Check, Check Plus, X
Sowing Season √+
Millstone √
Jesus √+
Degausser √+
Limousine √+
You Won’t Know √+
Welcome to Bangkok X
Not the Sun √+
Luca √
Untitled √
The Archers Bows Have Broken √+
Handcuffs √
Hopefully some interesting CDs come out soon. Otherwise I'll be looking around the past for some good music. Help me out if you want, send a request to rockreportcard@hotmail.com and I'll give it a listen.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
Brand New started to experiment with the style of their second CD, Deja Entendu, but the style has taken complete control of Devil and God. By using slow, haunting intros followed by heavy guitars and fast-paced, screaming vocals, Brand New has created a sound that is all its own, and a sound that begs for more listens.
The experience is introduced well in "Sowing Season," which slowly builds with depressing candor until it explodes with a powerful "Yeah" followed by a pulsing guitar riff. This pattern is followed many times during the album, but each time the explosion takes the listener by surprise, immersing them in a feeling of anxiety and rapt attention.
The effect is made even stronger by the lyrics of Jesse Lacey, which typically depict depressing scenes that are far from the immature topics of earlier CDs. With a new sound, it seems the band has developed a new mindset as well. That mindset comes with a lot of doubt, as found in the ballad "Jesus," and it also comes with a Cassandra-like despondent prophecy, evidenced in the crushing "Limousine."
The music isn't just good because of its unexpected bursts, either, as guitarist Vincent Accardi perfectly captures the moods with his unnerving yet satisfying licks. There is a certain objective that the band tries to get forth in every song, and the music goes a long way in helping them accomplish that.
Their experiment only fails in one song, and that is the instrumental "Welcome to Bangkok." Placed in the middle of the CD right between two great songs ("You Won't Know" and "Not the Sun"), the instrumental seems to aimlessly go from slow to fast without any sort of purpose. It almost seemed as if they wanted to make a song out of it but couldn't think of how to make it work, so they just stuck the music there because it sounded cool.
The end of the album isn't nearly as strong as the beginning, but the fun "The Archers Bows Have Broken" and the scary "Handcuffs" are good songs to go out on, although "Handcuffs" is the one song that has less than stunning lyrics. It is a slow fade to an otherwise stellar album, one that takes you for a ride through shrieking vocals, soft moments, and heavy-hitting percussion.
Scoring:
Replayability: (19/20) This album was released two years ago, and I still listen to it very often. I have heard it more than a hundred times, and I know I will hear it another hundred before the CD breaks. There's a lot to get from this album.
Music: (17/20) It isn't as if these guys are the most talented musicians in the world, but what they do is take a song and use their music to create an ambiance that is perfect for the emotion they wish to convey. Through their tactic of going from slow to fast, they hold attention and make the most of it when they get it.
Lyrics: (18/20) From the strong emotions in "Jesus" and "Limousine" to the cold observations of "Millstone," Jesse Lacey's words capture energy and emotion in a special way and force the listener to understand his intentions.
Completeness: (17/20) Even without the momentum-halting "Welcome to Bangkok," the album sort of slips towards the end with songs that don't do much but ride the earlier momentum. However, album through track 6 would probably be one of the best EPs ever made.
Emotional Pull: (18/20) This isn't just because of the lyrics. The entire style of music gets the listener to feel the emotions, whether it be from a great line or a well-placed scream.
Total Score: 89
Grade: B+
With a rumored album coming out in 2009, it will be interesting to see if Brand New can match the high standard they have set for themselves. If they continue to master this style of music, I think there are only good things in the future for them.
Check, Check Plus, X
Sowing Season √+
Millstone √
Jesus √+
Degausser √+
Limousine √+
You Won’t Know √+
Welcome to Bangkok X
Not the Sun √+
Luca √
Untitled √
The Archers Bows Have Broken √+
Handcuffs √
Hopefully some interesting CDs come out soon. Otherwise I'll be looking around the past for some good music. Help me out if you want, send a request to rockreportcard@hotmail.com and I'll give it a listen.
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Fake? Definitely. Hilarious? Yeah, Definitely Too.
U2 to produce Spidey Musical
Now, I've been taught since a little boy not to take anything read in the Sun seriously. These were the same guys who broke the "amazing" story of Eddie Murphy playing the Riddler in an as-of-yet unwritten Batman movie.
However, even if it is a complete sham, imagine Bono singing a song about MJ or The Edge ripping out the theme on guitar. Imagine how glorious this would be. Imagine still some of U2's classic music being applied to the Spiderman story. "Mysterious Ways" as Peter watches MJ through the window. "Elevation" during a web slinging scene. The options are endless.
Please, Bono, please look at this bogus article and say, "Hey, this is a great idea."
I'll be at the first showing.
Now, I've been taught since a little boy not to take anything read in the Sun seriously. These were the same guys who broke the "amazing" story of Eddie Murphy playing the Riddler in an as-of-yet unwritten Batman movie.
However, even if it is a complete sham, imagine Bono singing a song about MJ or The Edge ripping out the theme on guitar. Imagine how glorious this would be. Imagine still some of U2's classic music being applied to the Spiderman story. "Mysterious Ways" as Peter watches MJ through the window. "Elevation" during a web slinging scene. The options are endless.
Please, Bono, please look at this bogus article and say, "Hey, this is a great idea."
I'll be at the first showing.
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