Music Reviews

Album Review: Kings of Leon – WALLS

After three years without releasing an album, Kings of Leon are finally back.  They sound fresh for the current chart music scene, but are still working with the same old formula. They’ve brought back the night-time-alternative-rock sound. From writing to production, WALLS is raw, wild, direct and honest and it distinguishes itself because of this.

WALLS could not start better than with ‘Waste a Moment’. The chorus, “take the time to waste a moment”, is definitely arena-worthy and is super catchy, especially with the “woah oh oh’s”, which one assumes came from their latest producer, Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire, Florence + The Machine). This track is the one which most resembles their old sound from 2008’s Only by the Night.

However, WALLS’ lead single is not as entertaining as certain tracks from OBTN, such as ‘Use Somebody’ or ‘Sex On Fire’. It lacks their edge. While ‘Waste a Moment’ is not badly produced or boring; it could be described as  repetitive or generic.   

“‘Reverend’ is honest and melancholic…”

‘Reverend’ could be regarded as a rock ballad, which lead singer Caleb Followill delivers incredibly well. He transmits vulnerability from the way he sings to the way he sounds. ‘Reverend’ is honest and melancholic. It builds a climax until finally reaching the chorus. The guitar riff during the chorus could not suit the song better. This is one of the best tracks in the album.

‘Over’ may be six minutes song, but it shows a lot of lyrical reflection. It doesn’t feel like a long track – everything about it works. The song builds up slowly. The chorus sounds perfect for radio and arenas alike. There is always something new being added to the song, from the sudden acoustic guitar that joins in about two minutes after the track starts, to the bridge halfway through the track with fading background vocals. All these details make the track memorable, perhaps a stand out of the album.

It is undeniable that the Nashville band has tried to experiment with new sounds in their tracks. In ‘Muchacho’ there is a bit of everything; a choir, whistling at the end of the track and a drum-machine cha-cha sound. Kings of Leon have explored the guitar slide as part of the riff in the song, which is undeniably irresistible. The track could not get more experimental than it did, but this does not change the fact that it doesn’t present anything new lyrically.

“‘Wild’ starts sounding almost like a grunge tune, but what follows offers nothing more than predictability”

There is some melancholy in tracks such as ‘Conversation Piece’, both in the song writing and the repetitive melody. At the same time, it is arguably one of the best produced tracks in the album (bonus for the violin sound in the background). ‘Wild’ starts sounding almost like a grunge tune, but what follows offers nothing more than predictability.

‘WALLS’ is a beautiful track, which evokes emotions. The combination of piano, acoustic guitar, and the lyrical content on this track make this whole album worth waiting for.

From melancholic ballads to arena-ready tracks, Kings of Leon’s combination of unique vocals, sexy guitar riffs, nostalgic lyrics and musical experimentation has made the album WALLS a cohesive, relatable and poetic record.

Victoria Araujo

Image courtesy of Kings of Leon via Facebook.

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