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Amazon.co.uk Review
That said, brother Caleb's lyrical concerns are strictly of the old school: the likes of "Taper Jean Girl" and "Milk" deal with wine, women and song, although if you can decipher his ragged Southern twang – at times, eerily reminiscent of Frank Black's mangled Mexican on the Pixies' "Vamos" – you perhaps deserve some sort of medal. The Kings' strongest suit is probably their fast numbers – see "The Bucket", a hymn to the touring lifestyle hauled along by the seat of its pants by a rabid clatter of tom-toms. But "Milk" offers a rare moment of neat fragility, Caleb relating an eccentric tale of a girl with an "hourglass body" to the gentle pulse of Nathan's bass drum. --Louis Pattison
Review
It is no wonder then that such an off-beat and romantic story was immediately taken up and embellished by the media. The Kings Of Leon and their first album Youth And Young Manhood were hyped by everyone. Some critics labelled them as recyclers who were laughably re-living an out of date rock 'n' roll dream. But the criticism was unwarranted as their musical style was more than just a re-hash of the old; they had developed their own unique sound.
The filthy driving rhythms and gorgeously gravel vocals were definitely a cut above the rest and their popularity grew and grew. They were a real explosion of pure rock 'n' roll energy. In an effort to escape their pigeonhole, the band are back, with haircuts and a second album that is quite different from the first. The songs are much subtler and therefore take a few listens to appreciate, but the wait is worth it.
They have incorporated different rhythms and styles throughout with plenty of tempo changes. "Pistol Of Fire" is the most up-beat track with the screeching guitar licks and foot stompin' beat. "Milk", "Rememo" and "Soft" are slower, melodic and poignant even if the lyrics do make very little sense. "Day Old Blue" is sweetly acoustic in part and "Razz" brings in a touch of the ska beat.
Aha Shake Heartbreak takes you on an interesting journey. Musically it is innovative and diverse and Caleb's vocal style is as individual as ever. His rasping chords sounds like he's just smoked 50 fags but he remains tuneful and purveys strong emotion whether exhilaration, tenderness or pain.
Yes it's still rock 'n' roll but there's nothing wrong with that. --Stephanie Barrow
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Customer Reviews
And then came along The Strokes, swiftly followed by The White Stripes, The Vines, The Hives, BRMC... We got so carried away that even The Datsuns were hailed as the new, "saviours of rock'n'roll" for a day or two. Relative latecomers to the scene, Kings of Leon seemed to be just another band who rolled off the production line with clothes, hair, and a background story just a little too good to be for real.
Whether the family Followill really are the offspring of an alcoholic preacher who spent their formative years travelling the south to spread word of the good lord, we'll probably never know. However, if there was ever any doubt about the honesty of their musical convictions, Aha Shake Heartbreak should help dispel it. First things first, this is no rock'n'roll party album in the vein of Youth and Young Manhood. As fine a record as that was, the Kings have progressed, and done it with great style and taste.
Somehow the Kings have managed to return with an album that appears to be the difficult second album and post-fame downbeat comedown record rolled into one, but have defied all logic by making it sound compellingly brilliant. Opener 'Slow Night, So Long' sets the tone, introducing itself with chiming chords reminiscent of Joy Division with a Peter Hook-esque bassline to match. After building up to a climax that rocks like The Who it then fades out into a beautiful piano led calypso coda with Caleb singing: "Rise and shine all you gold-digging mothers." Truly this is one extraordinary and adventurous record.
They are still capable of rocking like Lynyrd Skynyrd - 'Velvet Snow' is easily the match of 'Molly's Chambers'. But the tracks that really shine are the ones that sound completely removed from the old 'new rock revolution'. 'King of the Rodeo' has got a chorus that you wont be able to get out of your head for days; 'Day Old Blues' will make you seriously wonder why no-one has ever thought of mixing yodelling and rock'n'roll before and there will not be a song released this year with a more funky bassline than 'Razz'.
In Aha Shake Heartbreak the Kings have managed to do what no one could have dared hope. Where The Strokes, The Vines and countless others have failed, the Followills have transcended the retrogressive scene that gave birth to them and developed into a truly special and unique band.
And not only do Kings of Leon know the meaning of rock, but also know how to help it evolve. Just listen to the first track on the album, 'Slow Night, So Long', which although has less immediate impact than the opener on "YAYM", brings their original sound to new levels. No one could have expected the jazzy, sombre feel of the ending section. I was amazed, and loved them more with every passing chord.
The third track, 'Taper Jean Girl', as well as being my personal favourite, proves that Kings of Leon know exactly what direction they are headed. It is confident, rhythmic and has, in my opinion anyway, one of the greatest riffs in any rock song in the past decade. A stunning song.
'The Bucket' is another obvious strongpoint, but unexpectedly (if not for the yodelling)'Day Old Blues'is quite enjoyable, and 'Pistol of Fire' and 'King of the Rodeo' also live up to this standard. There are no fillers. No weak songs. Kings of Leon are determined to make an impression on the world of rock, and who knows, with this album, they might even change it.
Aha Shake Heartbreak (though an odd name for an album) simply solidifies the thoughts among many (myself included) that the KOL are the best rock band to have come out of America for a long, long time.
It is chock-full of lively, driving numbers, awash with Caleb's Southern, twangy drawl, Nathan's snappy and precise drumming (check out "Velvet Snow") and Matthew and Jared's solid bass-lines and catchy riffing.
Top tracks include "Slow Night, So Long", "The Bucket", "Velvet Snow" and "Taper Jean Girl". "Milk" is a bit of an odd song as it's hard to understand what the opening lyrics are about, but it does build up well and is a good contrast to the others. And if there is a low-point, I would say it was "Day Old Blues", which just seems out of place. The pace of the album overall matches "Youth and Young Manhood" but my one criticism is that a lot of the songs are just too short and seem to be a bit rushed through.
Is it better than their debut? Personally I don't think so. (It certainly doesn't "[...] all over Youth and Young Manhood" like NME claimed it would). But it is a brilliant album, cementing the Kings' status as one of the top bands in the world today.
Get the 1st YOUTH & YOUNG MANHOOD you,ll love it
their most consistent, it really sounds like they are on fire and inspired. Read more
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