Remember the New Rock Revolution? The boozy haze of flailing cowbells and nu-wave smack mullets which spat forth most of the best bands of the last decade? Surely even the least nostalgia-ridden, John Deer cap wielding pop fan among us has to declare that a few years ago, it was hard to imagine a gang of bearded Southerners like Kings Of Leon would appear again any time soon. What with 50’s Pallbearer-chic and rusty Bass Generator samples currently order of the day, they still seem to be out there on their own. Luckily though us Brits have realised mocking their Tennessee-twang could only end in utmost ridicule. The answer? Well, Kings Of Leon, you see, are a band who (like so many other country-rock legends), can be purveyors of the kind of rock n roll spirit that could leave Tom Meighan weeping at the quagmire, but the question is whether ‘Because Of The Times’ is good enough to stand up and take a bullet alongside their classic debut and it’s flawless follow-up.
Firstly, anyone expecting the homegrown, organic tones of ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ will realise from the outset how much heavier the Kings have become. From Nathan’s now-stadium sized drum quake to the all-out fret shredding on ‘McFearless’, the Followills sound more vexed than ever, brother. Forget the tawdry sports vests and U2 support slots; this isn’t the sound of a band consumed with shifting units, it’s hard Rawk dude!..not Prefab Sprout. ‘Charmer’s crunching riff kicks like the mule of Bleach-era Nirvana, Caleb searing his whisky-soaked larynx over a b-movie garage blast, ‘Ragoo’s highway groove is Woodie Guthrie derailing the soul train into a saloon brawl – ace, in other words. Recorded back home in Nashville whilst guzzling enough grog to turn Shane McGowan straightedge may have unearthed a brooding side to the Kings, but it’s also aided their knack for being remarkable storytellers. From the biblical-referenced LP title to the tearaway country tales peppered throughout, this is an LP steeped firmly in Followill upbringing. Opener ‘Knocked Up’ tells the tale of a man railing against Hicksville condemnation after impregnating a young dame whilst ‘Trunk’s sinister synth shuffles creep on like The BadSeeds lamenting closing time. Anyone hastily yearning the u.v-tinged Southern strat-stabs of late needn’t worry though, as the good-time jamborees are still ever present too. Take ‘Fans’; a gun-tootin’ Skynrd-esque anthem which brings to mind the Leon country hoedowns of ole’. If anything ‘Because Of The Times’ instils their post-Strokes hillbilly oeuvres of old with a newfound grimace. So yes, they’ve stuck by their guns and delivered and album which delivers with all the gusto which made them so exciting in the first place. And a bolder, darker, wiser beast it is too, which rewards the repeated listens it indisputably deserves. Truck on: for those the Kings.