Kings Of Leon - 'Youth & Young Manhood' (Hand Me Down / BMG)
3/5
By: Joshua K
You surely already know a fair bit about Kings of Leon: sons (and nephew) of an itinerant American preacherman; hyped as 'the Southern Strokes' because they play '70s-influenced rock and share an A&R man; give Dave Grohl-endorsed Kentuckians My Morning Jacket a run for the money in the hirsute band stakes.
Yet, while hype, buzz, and extravagant facial hair all matter in le monde du rock, it eventually comes back to the tunes. It's therefore appropriate that KOL drop their debut album right as The Strokes emerge blinking from Gordon Raphael's New York studio with LP#2 in-hand and MMJ are about to unveil their third collection of skewed alt-country and southern boogie. So, where in this troika does 'Youth and Young Manhood' fall?
Well... While less sonically adventurous than the 'Jacket and less instrumentally tight than The Strokes, these boys can play. Yet, unlike those other bands, KOL's songs seem - at times - only an inspired mélange of their influences (try Lynyrd Skynyrd, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Allman Brothers meet - wait for it - The Strokes), rather than ever fully transcending them. Put another way: on even the first listen, every track on 'Is This It' offered up its influences but nonetheless felt fresh, exciting and new. In contrast, much of 'Youth and Young Manhood' (from the retro cover shockingly like 'The Datsuns', on) is solid, but with a musty air.
That said, 'Spiral Staircase', 'Red Morning Light' and 'Wasted Time' rock-n-shimmy like moonshine-addled bastards. 'California Waiting' latches onto the Blondie/Strokes rhythm-section for a cruise down Pacific Coast Highway with The Eagles. And 'Holy Roller Novocaine' (death-rattle vocals about a horny, manipulative preacher) and 'Trani' (about transvestites) add a seedy hum to the proceedings.
But, 'The best debut album of the last ten years' (as the sleeve-cover sticker proclaims)? This isn't it. Instead, we're somewhere between an overdose of hype and sweet home Alabama. Not jawdropping, but - most certainly - still worth a rock fan's listen this year.
Artists in this article: Kings Of Leon
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