Kings of Leon spring back with Mechanical Bull

Photo courtesy of Alterna2

Irony can strike at the worst of times. Following the successful release of their tranquil 2010 album, Come Around Sundown, the Kings of Leon were dogged with stories of in-house clashes and continuous rumours surrounding their future.

Thankfully for their fans, the Nashville band managed to rekindle their love for making music. They have returned this autumn with their sixth album, Mechanical Bull, a record which hints at the bands ‘story so far’.

All 11 songs on this Angelo Petraglia produced album showcase the back catalogue of the band in some way. Having put their personal differences aside, the Followill quartet of Caleb, Matthew, Nathan and Jared hark back to their roots and have produced an album of real identity.

Stark similarities can be seen by comparing this record to some of their previous work; ‘Family Tree’ sounds like the band have taken a leaf from the book of Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004), whilst, ‘Comeback Story’ would fit nicely on the track list of Because of The Times (2007)

Caleb Followill’s vocals are as rich as ever on this new album and the guitar riffs, synonymous with the band since their commercial breakthrough of Only By The Night (2008), are ever-present. This instrumentally driven album will certainly strike a chord with traditionalists in an age where one-dimensional electronic songs rule the charts.

‘Supersoaker’ and the impeccable ‘Wait for Me’ have already received some radio airtime and the album has just debuted at the top of the Irish charts.

While its tracks may not grace a ‘Greatest Hits’ album, Mechanical Bull still possesses enough quality to attract a new clutch of admirers; how long those fans will have to wait for the next Kings of Leon album remains to be seen.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Alterna2