Kings of Leon – Mechanical Bull

[rating=8.00]

Kings of Leon’s sixth studio album’s title is very fitting ride as the 11 tracks run the gamut from ballsy dive bar rockers to arena worthy sing alongs. The Followill family band took a lengthy break from recording and touring and returned to record one of their most eclectic and poignant albums. It was produced by Angelo Petraglia and was recording in the Kings’ own recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

The first three tracks, “Supersoaker”, “Rock City” and “Don’t Matter” are quite straight forward and fun and scream to be played live in a gritty club. “Supersoaker” leads off with jangly guitar and punchy drums that can only make one take notice and to get up and dance. “Rock City”, with its bluesy guitar leads and groovy drums conjure up memories of when rock and roll was a bit less polished and raw. “Don’t Matter” bursts open with an almost menacing guitar riff and equally as menacing lyrics. Caleb repeats, “It don’t matter to me/’cause it’s always the same” – which most listeners should be able to relate to. Matthew’s reckless guitar solos only add to the frenzied impact of the song.

The next series of tracks cross over to the more arena rock friendly tunes. An unwavering marching drums, combined with a subtle mix of tambourine and whistling in “Beautiful War” slow down the tempo of Mechanical Bull. Caleb sings, “Our love don’t mean nothing/’less there’s something worth fighting for”. “Temple” provides another platform for the Kings to rock out with a seemingly 80’s influence a the chorus, “I’d take one in the temple/I’d take one for you” will provide ample opportunity for the Kings’ fans to sing along –loud and proud. “Wait For Me” adds to the speculation that there’s some 80’s MTV rock and roll influence with its Golden Earring guitar intro (see Golden Earring’s “Bullet to the Bone”). “Wait For Me” may be the one track on Mechanical Bull that might fare better as a B-side.

The highlight of Mechanical Bull and funkiest KOL song to date, “Family Tree” will undoubtedly be a fan favorite if not a hit single. The drum intro lays the groundwork before Jared’s bass line bounces in. The chorus, “I am your family tree/I know you’re A to Z/This is a secret proposition/Lay your hands on me/Nothin’ to talk about/It’s all make believe” is a bit ambiguous. However it’s built for the classic call and response and is incredibly catchy.

“Walk a Mile” brings back some classic KOL tones. It’s an endearing track that channels certain facets of “Radioactive” off of 2010’s Come Around Sundown. Matthew’s glossy guitar lines and Nathan’s haunting background vocals add a dramatic aura. “Tonight” and “Coming Back Again”, like early U2 with Edge-style echo laden guitar leads – have the potential to be arena rockers. Wrapping it up, KOL leave the listener with a slow burner that has a throbbing Nashville twang. “On The Chin” delivers a sweet song about loyalty and sacrifice. The acoustic guitar, complete with the sounds of fingers sliding on its strings – add a nice foil to the orchestration saturating the track.

The short break that the Followills took paid off. This album gives their fans a good mix everything that they have produced thus far and a little more. On some tracks, Caleb’s voice returns to his classic form a la Aha Shake Heartbreak. However, he demonstrates more control on others. And thankfully, the listener is not subjected to any frat boy compositions like “Sex On Fire.”