what I’m actually listening to: Kings of Leon’s Because of the Times
I try not to put on airs on this blog. I’ll try to talk about the stuff that I’m actually listening to and enjoying. If something is slipping through the cracks, I might try to readjust things with a “what I’m actually listening to” column.
I was on the fence, but I ended up buying it. We were in Amoeba while my friend Dave was in town. I was undecided and on Dave’s recommendation, I got King of Leon’s (myspace) Because of the Times. (not remembering that he’s sometimes an unreliable[1] recommender).
I’m not a hardcore fan of the Kings of Leon, having first heard them shortly after Aha Shake Heartbreak came out and I was reviewing it for the station (though I had heard of them: they had a signed photo in my favorite pizza parlor in Boston going back to probably 2001 or 2002). I didn’t know enough about them to know that I shouldn’t, as a friend put it, like that record, so I just listened in ignorance, enjoying the catchy music.
Similar to the way I’m not a hardcore fan of the band, I wasn’t blown away by this record, but the one thing I will tell you: in the three weeks I’ve had it in my 6-CD changer in my car, I’ve found myself pressing the button for this CD more than any other. I just keep going back to it. It’s just good music to listen to. On the rougher days, I blame it on needing comfort music, but on other days, I just enjoy the catchiness, the interesting vocals and the riffs. In some ways, I think of these guys in the same camp as the Hold Steady: bands unashamed of using big riffs and other ‘classic rock’ strongholds.
“Knocked Up” is the 7 minute lead-off track to this album. I like the way the instrumentation comes in: drums, then bass, then harmonics on the guitar, then another guitar—the full palate of them making a nice bed for the story of a guy, well, knocking up his girlfriend.
Kings of Leon – Knocked Up (mp3)
Because of the Times is available from insound.
[1] Seriously, he just recommended the new Clientele—I’ve listened to 3 of the last 4 Clientele albums and at least one of their 7″s all multiple times and not enjoyed any of them.
ouch. thanks man.
“i dig the new clientele album.” doesn’t necessarily mean, “go out and buy this record.” i just enjoyed it. sorry if our tastes vary a bit.
yikes.
well, I love the new Clientele. Almost as much as the last. And KOL are pretty good. They were the best show I saw last year (Great American Music Hall).
[...] Kings of Leon – Because of the Times (original post) I’m not going to be able to issue a big list of why this album is good intellectually or why this is good art (though, that’s not to say someone else couldn’t), but I just like listening to this album. It spent a huge portion of the year–months–in my car’s 6-disc CD changer and despite a rotating cast of other albums to choose from, I kept coming back to this one anyhow. [...]