***1/2
There’s nothing like touring with Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam to make a promising band snap to, and with their third album, the Southern rockers hone their droning chaos into a more eclectic yet far more refined follow-up to 2005’s Aha Shake Heartbreak.
Opener “Knocked Up” is the Followill Foursome’s biggest accomplishment to date; a sprawling, solemn tale of a rebellious couple dealing with the consequences of carefree living. Elsewhere there’s the shrieking garage punk of “Charmer,” the stuttering neuroticism of “McFearless” and psychedelic raver “My Party.” Jam-packed with exploding guitars and naïve optimism, the collection slow-boils with stubborn, youthful urgency that refuses to acknowledge the crashing reality awaiting just down the road. Girls and God play leading roles, but increasingly, so do fighting, drinking, hoarse pleas for understanding and mounting frustration. The protagonists are all trapped in an inescapable world of physical and emotional compromise; they just don’t know it yet.
Kings of Leon still sound like they spend their days camped out with a cooler on the front porch. But instead of kicking back with half-closed eyes, Times sees them leaning forward in those same chairs, alert, proud and practically begging for a loose storm window or worn-out shingle to tackle.