Kings of Leon - Because of the Times

There are some very unsettling things happening in the land of the Kings, things that make me shiver in the dark of the night while I contemplate the end of all things rock. Their appearance has gone from good ol' boy to slick wannabe rockstar glam and their production no longer sounds like it was recorded inside a trashcan (which was endearing and awesome). They look uncomfortable and awkward in their $300 haircuts and their too chic get-ups. Somebody up in the ranks noticed what I knew all along, that these guys are serious contenders, and now they're being groomed. You know what's more rock than looking like a rockstar? Not giving a fuck if you look like a rockstar! I recently spent a glorious 5 hours sitting on a street corner, drinking with strangers while waiting for a free KOL concert at the Apple store in Soho, and let me tell you it was almost more fun on the pavement. The Kings have never looked unhappier, and who can blame them? I'm willing to bet that selling i-pods wasn't in the plans when they got into the game. The first words out of Caleb's mouth were "I hope y'all sing along, or this is gonna be awkward." Their set lasted an hour, with no encore, and as soon as they were off the stage we were unceremoniously booted from the store to make way for a PowerPoint presentation. Stop killing the music I love, damn it!

Thankfully, for the time being, none of this really matters 'cause "Because of the Times" is another album to love. Of a different breed than the last two, to be sure, but still brilliant. They've been touring with the big boys and paying attention. The most obvious influence is U2, whose atmospheric arena aesthetic is all over Because of the Times. Touring with Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam hasn't hurt either! The tracks on BOTT are more complex, in both structure and sound, than most of their previous work, many with no clear chorus or hook. No worries though, thanks mostly to the raw quality of Caleb's voice and delivery, the grit still manages to get through. And what good grit it is. (Videos with *** were made by me. Six this time! Whew.)


1. Knocked Up

It takes serious balls to begin your album with a 7+ minute song with no obvious refrain. But you don't notice the length when you're bobbin' your head along to the bittersweet roadtrip groove they're building. It feels like the beginning of a journey, or an exile, it's hard to tell which. There is joy there, but such melancholy as well. The drums and base keep pulling you forward, while Matthew's aching harmonics float over it all. It makes me want a Coupe deVille of my own to escape in. Listen for Caleb's lonely little whistle about 5 and 1/2 minutes in. It's one of those little tics that make a great song.

2. Charmer
If "Knocked Up" is the birth of this album, than "Charmer" is the doctor slapping the baby. You need a little something to knock the blood back into you after the steady lull of the opener and Caleb's bloodcurdling screeches do the trick nicely. They punctuate the Pixies-esque squall throughout this ode to, and warning against, the allure of dangerous women. I love the build at the end, especially when it all comes crashing down into one final chorus. Yow!

3. On Call
Devotion is the name of the game here, whether it be to your girl in times of woe, or your bro's in times of battle. Either way Caleb's got your back. All you gotta do is pick up the phone. It's not hard to see why this was the first single. It's simple and it's got one of the closest things the album has to a bona fide hook.

4. McFearless***
Your obligatory "Dealing With Fame" song, but done with honesty and passion. Considering that KOL are making a serious bid for popularity and longevity, it gives me hope to hear Caleb singing about going with his "soul" instead of his "hand". He's looking unwanted responsibility full in the face and taking it like man. Let's just hope he stays strong instead of giving in to those "with fake love" while he "might easily just give up on this show". Rock 'n roll needs you brother, stick around.

5. Black Thumbnail***
The last dance of the bachelor is the "I can't change" shuffle. You all know it, either you've done it or you've seen it done. Well here it is for you in all it's shifty-eyed glory. It starts off as a benign little strummer, but by the time it comes slamming into the first chorus, there's no doubt our boy's a mean mo-fo, and he ain't never comin' back. Move along, ladies, move along.

6. My Party
Oh baby, what a funky toe-tappin' groove the Kings have wrought for us!

7. True Love Way***
The bachelor from "Black Thumbnail" finally met the girl from "Charmer", but no matter how much he's "On Call", he just can't seem to get her "Knocked Up". He's road-lonely and smitten, wanting to settle, but she just won't bite the bait. Still, there's a sweet innocence to the chorus, though it's a little out of place, like a wildflower in a blast zone.

8. Ragoo
This song is a reggae tinged rocker with bouncy bass, and has one of the greatest grooves on BOTT. However, light and infectious as the instrumentals are, the lyrics wrestle with something weightier. It's an age old storytellers dilemma: people wanna believe in him and the "lies" he sings them, even though he's young and still figuring the world out for himself. Fame has exposed him as a gifted charlatan. Or so he thinks, though the ability to distill truth from nothing has always seemed to me to be the great gift of the artist, to look into the chaos and say honestly the things you see there in a way that others can relate to. Who cares if you made it up, if it makes me feel something, anything at all.

9. Fans
I defy you to listen to this song and stay seated. It is so relentlessly catchy and uplifting, I can barely stop myself from standing long enough to write this. It's also got more joy crammed into each second than the rest of the album combined. The Kings are shouting out to their fans across the pond, where they broke onto the scene and are loved. We in states have yet to truly cotton to the glory of KOL. But that time will come, don't you fret. And when it does, I will be first with my hands in the air and my toes goin' to town.

10. The Runner***
This tune is beautiful, sorrowful music. Sonically it's the most diverse of the bunch, with Caleb playing the twinkling Appalachian dulcimer and a Ladysmith Black Mambazo like chorus capping eerie harmonies throughout. When he sings "cold and it's cold and it's cold when your near / it's cold when your nearing the bottom" I get the shivers every time.

11. Trunk***
At first glance, this little number seemed harmless, but the more I dug in, the creepier it got. It's got the washed out glare of late night headlights in that slow guitar, and though he says she sighed "whoooo", I rather think she made a different sound before he put her in the trunk.

12. Camaro
A cool song about a cool car and a hot chick. So have a good time, drive real fast. What's with all the long faces around here, anyways? Another Chevy by the way. KOL drive American made all the way there and back again. The scenes in this video are from the 1997 Lynch flick Lost Highway, but they fit the tune nicely.

13. Arizona***

The perfect ending to this album. A little weary, a little sad, yet triumphant all the same, the way any good journey's end should feel. Leave your regret on the side of the road, 'cause all you've done has gotten you through to this moment and don't it make you wanna laugh and cry at the same time. Watch the sun set, and buck up for the next expedition.