Kings of Leon: Come Around Sundown

 

I have to say I've been pretty excited about hearing ‘Kings of Leon’s’ new album ‘Come Around Sundown’. I wouldn’t class myself as a massive Kings of Leon fan, but after all the success of their last couple of singles I was eager to see what they came up with next.

Kings of Leon have been around for about eleven years, which is surprising because they only seem to have majorly broken into the mainstream with their last album ‘Only by the Night’, which earned them number ones and numerous awards. ‘Kings of Leon’ seem to have a knack of changing their sound with almost ever album, despite lead singer Anthony Followill’s highly distinctive voice.

As for the album itself, they’ve done a pretty great job. It gets off to a solid start with a strong drum beat and then a great guitar riff, before the stunning voice of lead singer Anthony Followill comes in. Although this song isn’t the highlight of the album, it’s still a good way to start. ‘Radioactive’ is by far the best song, and reached number seven in the singles chart. The reason it’s so good is due to its amazing guitar riff which comes in at the beginning of the song, and Followill’s brilliant, almost pained voice.

One of the less impressive songs on the album is Mary, it’s highly repetitive and has very little vocals, which seems strange considering the quality of vocalist they have. After a while it does get frankly quite annoying, and I have to say it’s one I would skip past.

However, one song stood out was ‘Back down South’, it has a country feel to it and you can really sense that the band is coming back to their Tennessee routes. The reason it sounds country is due to the acoustic guitar and the rhythm Followill sings at. The next song on the album ‘Beach Side’ is a stark contrast to ‘Back Down South’ with its summery holiday feel. This could be seen as a symbol of their move from humble Tennessee to stardom, typically associated with sunny California.

It’s nice to see that Kings of Leon have not played it safe and made songs that sound similar to their previous successes, and on the whole it’s a great album. It’s chilled and easy to listen to, I recommend it if you’re a Kings of Leon fan.

Mcfly ft Taio Cruz: Shine a Light

I should probably start this post with a confession; yes I am a Mcfly fan. Their cheesy but fun brand of pop rock was really easy to listen to, and although they’re not the coolest band to like, it’s clear that they have genuine musical talent.

They’ve been pretty quiet lately but it seems that’s because they’ve been having a complete image overhaul. They have a brand new sound, look and attitude, and I have to say, it really works. The band needed to become relevant, and it seems they’ve done just that.

‘Shine a Light’ is the second single from their upcoming album ‘Super City’, produced by and featuring chart sensation Taio Cruz. The song starts with their recognisable cheesy high vocals, which I have to say I’m not a fan of, but then Danny Jones’ frankly beautiful voice comes in, and that’s where the song kicks off. The Chorus is catchy, but it feels like Cruz takes over a bit too much, his albeit great voice overshadows Tom and Danny’s, which is disappointing because Danny in particular has a voice which would rival Cruz’s.

The video is a bit strange because unless you understand the story behind it then it doesn’t make much sense. The band sent their fans messages on Twitter with clues to different destinations around London; if they found the end then they had a chance to be in the video. Once you know this, you can understand the video better.  

All in all it’s a pretty good song, a bit generic but I can definitely see it being popular as it fits well with what’s being played in the charts at the moment. As for Mcfly’s new image, it seems to be for the better, and I think it will open up a new audience for them, plus they seem to have somehow got better looking which I'm sure won’t harm their success.  

Jimmy Eat World: Invented

Jimmy Eat World are a band I remember well from my early teenage days (that really makes me feel old) and I have to say after listening to their new album ‘Invented’, which came out this week, I’m re-converted.

Listening to their 2001 single ‘The Middle’ really does make you feel quite nostalgic, and it shows how different this latest album is from their previous work. Jim Adkins and the band have moved on from their soft American pop rock and have come out with an album which is sophisticated and a pleasure to listen to.

The song which stands out the most for me is the title song ‘Invented’ which has a wonderfully mellow acoustic guitar and stunning vocals from Courtney Marie Andrews, who has backing vocals on five of the songs on this album. ‘Invented’ is probably the furthest away from their old stuff and it’s nice to hear them calming it down and taking a risk, although at seven minutes it is a tad long and goes unnecessarily crazy near the end.

One of the more upbeat and catchy songs on the album is the recently released single ‘My Best Theory’. It has the classic Jimmy Eat World guitar and a fast pace which really lifts your mood and forces you to sing along. However, one of my least favourite songs off the album is ‘Action Needs an Audience’, it sounds like they’re trying a bit hard to be screamo, and not really succeeding. Although passionate, it’s straying into another genre which sounds a bit strange.

If I had one criticism of the album as a whole, it would be that some of the songs sound a bit similar, but it has a few real gems that make it a really great piece of work by the Arizona band. If you remember Jimmy Eat World from your youth then have a listen to how much they have changed, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.