Mechanical Bull
Kings of Leon
Released by RCA Records
It has been five years since Kings Of Leon boldly stepped out of the indie rock scene and into the world of commercial pop rock.
Their Grammy-nominated fourth album Only By The Night confirmed their ability to refine their gritty southern sound into something more commercially accessible. Powered by anthemic hits “Sex On Fire” and “Use Somebody,” Only By The Night is the kind of album that bands spend the rest of their career trying to live up to.
After 2010’s country-tinged Come Around Sundown failed to impress audiences the same way its predecessor did, the pressure began to mount on the Followill boys for a return to form. This pressure culminated in lead singer Caleb’s departure from the stage midway through their show in Dallas in the summer of 2011. After some much needed R & R, they’re back with their sixth effort, Mechanical Bull.
The expectation for Mechanical Bull was for a return to their roots as relentless rockers, an album that would appease both their early devoted pre-Only By The Night fanbase and the millions of radio listeners who tuned in to them in 2008.
To some extent, this collection of 11 songs does that.
Kicked off by summer hit “Supersoaker,” the album launches into a youthful carefree style that hasn’t been heard since 2007’s Because Of The Times, but with more mainstream rock sensibility.
They follow that up with noteworthy tracks such as “Rock City,” “Temple,” “Family Tree,” and “Comeback Story.”
The strength of this album lies within their ability to adapt a variety of styles and make them their own. On “Rock City,” Caleb shamelessly admits that he can “shake it like a woman” over a Stones-esque jam, while “Family Tree” is a successful attempt at bluesy funk, with the rhythm section of brothers Jared and Nathan setting up Caleb for an irresistible groove.
The album isn’t all rock and roll, however. The few forays into ballad territory are hit and miss. Though “Beautiful War” and “On The Chin” have a strong melodic foundation, they don’t really take it anywhere.
The same cannot be said for “Comeback Story,” in which Caleb documents his recovery over orchestral strings that capture the grandeur they may have been going for on the other ballads.
Mechanical Bull is no Only By The Night, but it’s exactly the album Kings of Leon needed to release at this time in their career. With something for fans old and new, casual and devoted, it affirms the band can take their former sound in new directions.
