Mechanical Bull Album Thoughts......
Interference,
Kings Of Leon's new album "Mechanical Bull" dropped yesterday and it's a classic. My 3rd fave after "Only By The Night" and "Because Of The Times".
I think the most accurate description for this album comes from the drummer, Nathan Followill, describing Mechanical Bull as an unofficial "greatest hits" of all the Kings' earlier work. There is certainly something here for every Kings of Leon fan. I think those that were expecting a return to Youth and Young Manhood will be somewhat disappointed, however, but that is not a bad thing at all.
Don't Matter and Rock City most closely reflect the Kings' earlier style. Fans of their first two albums and of harder rock in general will find a lot to love about these two tracks, and I can easily see these two songs being favorites for many fans. Temple is a more classic rock hit which flows at a fast pace, but will probably find more favor in fans of the Kings' third album. Temple is definitely a showcase of Caleb's vocal talents.
I think fans of Only by the Night will get the most out of Mechanical Bull. Comeback Story and Coming Back Again are both arena-sized rock hits, both signaling the Kings coming back to the album that propelled them to super-stardom. Family Tree in particular is Only by the Night with a blues rock spin to it. Fans of Only by the Night should definitely be able to recognize Crawl as Family Tree opens. Family Tree shows that the Kings can definitely pull off blues rock in a very satisfying way, and it's one of the more catchy tunes in the album.
The rest of the songs tend to be more experimental. On The Chin is a slower country rock-style song, the one you would play for a buddy (or indeed for a brother or cousin) after going Back Down South and getting into a bar fight. Of their three slow songs on the album, Tonight feels like the weakest, and the weakest overall in the album. It shows promise, with Caleb showing flashes of ambition with his voice, but sinks into repetitiveness. Wait for Me also suffers from repetitiveness with a slow tempo. It feels like you're left waiting for an ending that never comes. It could be said that Beautiful War also veers into repetitiveness. However, the bass guides the song along a continuous crescendo, a la Bolero, and Beautiful War unfolds into a magnificent Kings of Leon classic. The second bonus track, Last Mile Home, is a happy medium, flowing along at a brisk pace but not overwhelming.
Where the Kings really shine in this album are Supersoaker and Work on Me. These two songs are unlike anything the Kings have previously released. Indeed, they feel like they could be the first two songs the Kings really enjoyed making in a long time. Supersoaker, as the name implies, is a fun song. It will "red, white, and blow you away". The guitar is enjoyable, the bass sounds great, the drums are fun, and you just gotta love the lyrics. Supersoaker was a good choice as the opening single.
The hidden gem is Work on Me. As most reviews focus on the songs in the main album, Work on Me has received little exposure. One of the few mentions I see basically write off Work on Me as a "Cure song". Frankly, if it was a Cure song, it would be the best song The Cure could ever hope to make. Robert Smith does not compare to Caleb Followill. Work on Me is all the Kings' strongest talents working together perfectly. I personally cannot stop listening to this song, I've had it on repeat for a while. If Supersoaker did not blow you away, this song certainly will. The guitar in Work on Me does bring to mind The Cure, but on a completely different, much more enjoyable level. The bass is among the best Jared has played, and combined with the drums make for a great rhythm to this song. Top it off with Caleb's unmatched vocals and the song's fun lyrics, and you have a song that will make you feel great. If there's any song on this album, or even from all of Kings of Leon's catalog, that you should get, it's Work on Me.
Songs like Family Tree, Beautiful War, and Temple definitely make this a good album. What gives it five stars is just how great Supersoaker and Work on Me are. If these two songs signal the direction the Kings will be taking in the future, it is something to look forward to with much excitement. Buy this album!