Kings Of Leon

The brothers from southern mothers return with a third album that carries nary a hint of their heartland sound. Leaning hard on heady, proggy arrangements pays off with opener "Knocked Up," a tune that exemplifies drummer Nathan Followill's Harp mag quote about brother Caleb's penchant for transforming inner demons into melodic poetry. "On Call" works the same subtle magic as 2005's "The Bucket." The melody takes its time to burrow into your memory, strengthening its staying power. With echoes of Springsteen, the panoramically soundscaped "Arizona" should have been titled "Nebraska."

They don't make seven-minute doomed-teen-lover melodramas like the Kings of Leon's
"Knocked Up" anymore. This is the Tennessee band's big album-opening saga, building from
quiet to loud with guitar licks that sound like the Edge fried in okra, with ominous
thunderclap drumrolls. Caleb Followill chokes on his story: He and his cowgirl are gonna
have a baby, her mama don't like it, they don't care, they're hitting the road in a... More >