Aha Shake Heartbreak

Guay, agradable.

Some great ones and some not so great

Pretty good, not as good as the first album because you can sort of smell the rot setting in that will eventually lead to Sex on Fire

His voice is so grating

How is this 19 years old, and what happened to this band after this album?!

There were parts of this that I liked. Sometimes, instrumentally, it was kind of a cool mix of Southern rock and 2000s NY rock scene sound. But I find the vocals almost unbearable and noticed myself disengaging from much of the album. I see why this band got big, but I didn’t love this.

Little whiney but the kind of rock I like

I used to this a lot when I was at uni, I would have thought the first album would be a better one to have on this list? It's a collection of better songs in my mind (this is the second one right?). This one is ok though.

6.5/10

never really gave these guys a fair shake. i miss those days

Fine. Nothing special.

Omg more Kings of Leon?? I hate this band. The selections for this list really do need to be reigned in. My god, this band was a flash in the pan with their whole sex on fire schtick and that’s all they’ve ever accomplished. Peaked early and easily forgettable. Next!

4.5

A solid album with an early aughts vibe, capturing that return to rock wave of the first part of the 21st century.

(Mai ascoltato prima) Devo ammettere di averli giudicati negativamente ancora prima di ascoltarli per il nome, che mi sembrava un po’ presuntuoso, ma alla fine non sono male. Qualche canzone carina e un po’ di filler.

A problem with the original version of this book being released in 2006 is that every awful dudebro indie group that got popular in response to nu-metal was still fresh on people’s minds and as a result I have to listen to Kings of Leon 18 years later.

Not much else to say but pre SOF King's of Leon put out some incredible tunes over those first three albums. Where Nobody Knows, Four Kicks and Taper Jeans Girl are the easy highlights. Nothing tops Charmer off the next album though.

Being familiar with their popular records from the late 2000s, I was hoping to find something more compelling in their first album...this was not the case. There's a *little* bit more rawness and experimentation with the guitars, but overall the tracks are bland and the singer's voice is as grating and incomprehensible as I've come to know. Favorite track: Razz

Esto dejó un mal sabor. Tuve que ir a escuchar Echoing de su disco de 2021, una canción que es mucho mejor que cualquiera de las incluidas en este que inexplicablemente se incluyó en el listado.

Ok solid indierock. But not a fan, something about the vocals that gets on my nerves after a few songs

Music for christian high school girls going through their rebellious phase.

Aha Shake Heartbreak is an early album of Kings of Leon. The album is less polished than later work. This album has a drive and some urgence, making it less boring than the recent albums of Lings of Leon.

I was dreading this one a bit as i used to really like this album growing up. Only by the Night was their turning point where i stopped listening to them. I was in the crowd at Reading where the lead singer lost the plot and told everyone to go f*** themselves. Thats was a very strange night. Anyway İ think the first two albums are probably the best, third was ok too. Aha Shake Heartbreak offers a more intimate look at Kings of Leon after their more rough and grizzled Youth and Young Manhood. They're song craft has improved and that can be seen in songs like Milk, The Bucket and Soft. İt's a nice listen. Moby has got nothing on these guys.

The music is great but wow the singer gets real old. “Day Old Blues” is him at his annoyingest.

Not a bad album. Some fun songs. Enjoyed listening but won’t seek it out.

Decent rock album

I mean, this is *fine* for straightahead rock and roll, but they sound like a tighter version of any number of bands I've seen in bars over the years. Their guitarist does some interesting fingerpicking stuff here and there, but the singer's voice is nothing spectacular and all in all, I'll probably forget about this album in short order. Unexpected banger: Rememo

Kings of Leon on ollut hittejä laskematta aina vähän mielialamusiikkia allekirjoittaneelle. Välillä soundi suorastaan vituttaa ja toisinaan taas jalka tamppaa reippaasti mukana. Eilen oli suotuisampi päivä ja rimaa hipoen voi antaa kolmosen vaikkei levyllä mitään megalekoja olekaan.

Se tunnetumpi(?) levy on paljon parempi. Tää oli vähän meh

Love this album

Love the songs and the band’s groove. Biggest issue is the singer, his voice really grates on me

Korta låtar och kort album, känns ändå ganska långt. Som en sämre Foo Fighters, bästa låten är Milk

Great run in the middle from Milk and some great memories. Sounds a little dated.

I like this band. Never heard of them before. They are pretty good

An album showing the maturity of the band. Recommended.

Great album. I remember buying on release. Never left rotation. Fun guitar and drums wutg unique vocals before they got all poppy.. Felt fresh and new at the time. Solid 7

Some good songs, nice vocals and overall vibe. Wasn’t a fan of the music on some of the tracks. Strong 6

Generic, post-strokes guitars utterly incomprehensible whiny singing and garbage lyrics. Not for me!

Sparkling

meh

Felt like the red hot chili peppers. I enjoy their more recent sound better.

Even though this loses a bit of the unpolished appeal of their debut, KoL delivers another garage rock revival record with that signature southern twinge. This is just one of those records that’s undeniably catchy. I’m not a major fan of the band’s later efforts, but I’ll admit they know how to write a hook. I always have a good time going back to the first few of theirs.

No gods, no masters, no Kings of Fucking Leon.

Meh. The band is good but the vocalist lacks range.

What an album! So many hard knockers in here. This band truly had something special. Such a shame they went after the money and mainstream. Standout tracks: Slow Night, So Long, King Of The Rodeo, Taper Jean Girl, Milk, The Bucket, Soft, Razz, Day Old Blues, Four Kicks, Velvet Snow, Rememo, Where Nobody Knows. 9,5 out of 10

smooth-listening, 3 stars.

Great album, musically speaking, I like their style. But I find the singer’s voice (Caleb Followill) mildly annoying, so they lost one star for that.

Sure, they sounded like The Strokes and The Black Crows had a love child, but I like The Strokes and The Black Crows. Though the eventually turn into mainstream rock darlings, this version of the band still is quite dirty and gets by on swagger and good ol' Southern boogie. Good fun with a six-pack of PBR in tow.

there is an excerpt from Spotify that says this band embraced the identity of being called 'The Southern Strokes', and i kinda hear it? the style of composition is similar in some ways, but lacking the electronic incorporations that The Strokes bring. not my groove honestly. feels like 3 day old popcorn. its aight, you know, your still gonna eat it.

I remember when this came out and I felt like this rock speak-singing is The Hold Steady without the Springstein-like storytelling. It’s more of a party vibe, but they’d never play this at the parties I went to. I will say the production is better here than The Hold Steady where they really started to bury the speak-singing under a bunch of instruments.

I just know radio friendly stuff of this band so I was skeptical when this was recommended. After some rather dull openers I really liked it. It's not my favourite nor I find the album per se special - but it's a nice, uplifting mellow listening experience.

Annoying.

Maybe 1001 albums was too many. This was generic, pedantic, and uninspiring. By far the longest 37 minutes in this endeavor so far.

Tässä on menoa ja chilliä vibaa 🤌🏼 Taas sziget musaa, nice

Not their best album, The Bucket being the only track I really liked.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Slow night so long, Pistol of fire, Soft, Day old blues

Just a few days ago I mentioned here that I look forward to listening to more of Kings of Leon's catalog and -- voila! -- here we are. I enjoyed this album as I had with the other one. Good rock songs with their own style.

Well, I really like the way this started off, the first song really kicked. Then, 41 seconds in, the vocalist came in and ruined it. It's a shame, because musically, this album is really good, in a 2000's indie kind of way. I pulled up the lyrics around the 3rd song, and kinda sorry I did. Not exactly deep and meaningful. Actually, not remotely deep and meaningful. But I do like the music (as I've already noted). Bottom line? 3/5 swap out to a decent singer, and add even a semblance of interest in the lyrics and this is a solid 4 (at least). just could've been so much more... 3/5

This was a great trip down memory lane

2 - türa see vend ajab mind tilti, napilt 1 Tra tegelt peakski 1 panema Vitttu küll, mida sa jorised

I don’t hate this. Why don’t I hate this? Overall, this was actually okay. Nothing new or innovative. It’s fine. It’s pop rock. Won’t listen to this again, though.

Not as strong as I remember it being back when it came out. Still good though

Rock alternativo. No sé si ni fu ni fa o un 4. Venga, un 4 por el espíritu navideño de este día.

Rock

iconic

Kings of Leon... Guitar - great. Drums - sound good. Bass - awesome. Then the singer starts and it all goes downhill. I do not like that guys voice. like a cat scratching a chalkboard. Otherwise, not bad.

I don't mind these guys but not my fav record by them.

These guys suck ass - how did they get anywhere.

Hate the singer

Pleasant, can't remember a tune 3,5/5

i wanna punch this fucking guy the face i hate his stupid voice lmao kys if you like this album

This is so very boring to me

Imagine being a fan of Kings of Leon? Kings of Leon is the most generic of all early 2000s rock. It's the beige of early 2000s rock. It's the lukewarm of early 2000s rock. It's the broth of early 2000s rock. It's the going exactly the speed limit of early 2000s rock.

Nem tinha muita expectativa devido ao meu preconceito em achá-los pretensiosos. Não se confirmou, mas o vocal foi mais que irritante.

I believe this is the second album from this list I've heard for this band. The first was more kind of straight southern rock and didn't make a huge impression. This is musically more interesting. I wasn't able to pick up much lyrically though and the vocals didn't do much for me.

I liked. This. A lot more than I expected to.

It was OK. The singer is annoying. Some of the music was good but overall unnoteworthy. No need to revisit.

It’s ok but I’d probably never go back to it

Lacks variation. And good songs. And a good singer. And ideas. 2/5

I think pre-mainstream Kings of Leon were a super fun band - and this album is the richest of the two. For me it brings good memories too since it was out during a specific period of my life - I don't think I can find any fault in this album to be honest - it's perfectly paced, good songs, never overstays it's welcome, and it makes great music for running to.

Not bad, but not my thing.

From the Wiki page for this US-based band: "Kings of Leon achieved initial success in the United Kingdom with nine Top 40 singles and two BRIT Awards in 2008, and all three of the band's albums at the time peaked in the top five of the UK Albums Chart. Their third album, Because of the Times, reached No. 1." …and "The album became a sensation in the UK and Ireland, where NME declared it "one of the best debut albums of the last 10 years" and The Guardian described the band as "the kind of authentic, hairy rebels the Rolling Stones longed to be". The album still failed to make any significant impact in the US, where reviews were generally lukewarm and the modern rock audience was generally uninterested. In the United States, Youth and Young Manhood sold only 100,000 copies, compared with the 750,000 copies it moved abroad." Tell me the author(s) don't have a bias when a US band can't get recognition in its own country, makes a splash in the UK and is deemed a must-listen album. This record is awful. It has no oomph. The lyrics when legible are written on a junior-high school level. This is one of those album that would get slammed if the vocalist was replaced by Yoko Ono but gets glorified in this book. 2/5.

Decent enough. Quite a bit different from what I expect from Kings of Leon, almost a mix between the garage rock of The Strokes and the silliness/funk of RHCP. I think the biggest letdown is the lyrics throughout the album since, like RHCP, they’re really all over the place and head scratching. 7/10

Trying to be The Strokes, but missing the vital ingredients - originality and charisma. A decent song, but the fact I always thought 'The Bucket' was by The Magic Numbers shows just how lacking in edge KoL are. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: The Bucket Date listened: 08/12/23

A classic for folk rock (i think). Kings of leon at their most original and abrasive sound. Some songs are hard bangers.

Relaxed rock, leans slightly more towards garage/raw than overproduced, but pretty central

This album is a mix of indie/alt rock, and very watered down southern rock. There’s a decent blues feel to it as well. The band is fairly tight and I enjoyed some of the bass work particularly. The guitar work and drum work are typical for the time and remind me a lot of the Strokes. The vocals are an absolute failure. Not only is the singing awful, the stylistic choices in terms of delivery and (lack of) enunciation ruin the album. I can usually deal with someone with a subpar voice, but the production choices make it sound like they grabbed a random guy from a bar and made him sing. I’ve tried to relisten throughout the day after my first run through and it’s annoying to the point of being offensive to literally anyone who can sing marginally well. Whoever signed these guys with this singer should be banned from the music industry.

Their first album was so good that this was so disappointing in comparison, so disappointing that it would take them a few years to even come close to the highs of that first album in their 4th album. This just sounds to bland and by the numbers that absolutely nothing stands out or is relistenable and I'm shocked that many critics rated it so highly.

Nothing really moved me along all these songs. They were fine, and I can listen to them, but none of them moved me.

Un álbum de indie sumamente interesante, con un sonido bastante distintivo que claramente fue replicado posteriormente por otro tipo de bandas de la misma escena. Si tuviera que quejarme de algo es que en ocasiones puede sentirse bastante repetitivo y la voz del vocalista puede llegar a ser molesta.

I can't stand the vocals. I cannot. stand. these. vocals. Baby talk vocals. I can't do this. The vocals don't work for me. It's too bad - the music itself ain't terrible.

Whomsoever decreed that I need to listen to two (at least) Kings of Leon albums before I die, let alone one? I would've been quite happy - ecstatic, even - with zero Kings of Leon albums.

Damn, this still isn't the one with the radio hits on it? I like "The Bucket" and "Where Nobody Knows." But just give me the damn one with the popular songs and let's get it over with already, list.

MY YOUTH, BABY!!

I especially appreciate the bass in these songs, and the urgency and tightness of the playing. The drums are really fire. I don't really like the voice of the singer, and the completely (to me) unintelligible lyrics. I don't understand the album title. Singing is too fast I think.

Festif et candide

This is just my own very biased feelings, but I did not enjoy the album at all. It’s just not my vibe. Not saying there’s no talent here, it just didn’t speak to me, at all.

This is really young Kings of Leon, they sound really raw, and unfortunately kind of commercial. I liked a lot of the songs, but for the same reason I didn't really like the album. It felt like pandering to the masses.

I was never aware of Kings of Leon until that awful "Sex on Fire" song came out in 2008 and I've disliked them ever since. At times, this veered into something I didn't mind. Maybe with repeated listens, it would grow on me. Meh.

better than i remembered. In hindsight it would have been nigh on impossible to write something as good as youth and young manhood.

Good

Aha shake heartbreak took me back to being 14 in high school listening to the high school band playing four kicks and watching the video for the bucket on an MTV equivalent/knock off. It might be the kings of leons best album, maybe but they never quite made it into my favourite bands list. I would say 3 out of 5

Never been too fussed by the Kings of Leon, after all their main hit single Sex on Fire is a song that I can’t stand. This album however, I was pleasantly surprised with a few songs that I quite enjoyed, despite not really understanding what the singer is saying, but there was some decent tempo tracks tap to. I’m probably not a KoL convert, but I didn’t mind this listen.

First impression without listening, did they get the album title from the what three words app? And must of the track titles too from the look of it. Well that was a surprise. I always thought that they were an English band, but God only knows what language that was in. I'm reminded of the Ken Lee song, and if you don't know what that is then I suggest you search it on YouTube. But the most annoying thing about this album was the first 20 seconds of each track, it gave you false hope of what was to follow. The intros were interesting, then the vocals kicked in and it all turned to shit. A begrudging 1, would go lower if I could.

There are some phenomenal tracks on this album. Taper Jean Girl, Razz, Pistol of Fire, Four Kicks and The Bucket have such hypnotic energy. These boys used to know how to write banging tunes. Also, they really know how to end their songs (guitar solo outro on Pistol of Fire as a great example) No slow fade outs just brilliant crescendos. I had to argue with my son and his KOL Suoerfan girlfriend about why I still couldn’t give it a 5 rating despite how much I adore most of this album. It’s because…. I can’t understand a fucking word Caleb sings, and lyrics mean a lot to me. He has a great tone and rasp to his voice but boy does he mumble. Or is that just a southern drawl? Later albums don’t seem so bad on that front. Either he learnt how to enunciate properly, or the recording / production improved. I did some more research on the song lyrics to try and learn what I was missing out on. Having read them, I’m largely still none the wiser about what he’s on about, and the bits I do understand are often a bit questionable. For example, the track ‘Soft’….. hmmm…. a song about drug induced erectile dysfunction my teenage son explains. That wasn’t awkward at all. And there’s also the track ‘Milk’. Just painful, yet they still manage a great outro! I’ll stick with my 4 rating and will continue to dance like nobody is watching whenever I play ‘Taper Jean Girl’. The Kings of Mumble Rock used to be an epic band and this is still a phenomenal album.

Ah the Follow-through brothers, what is it with Americans and their family bands? This has always been a put off for me for giving these a chance. The main issue with this lot is with Celeb's odd vocal style, but why do I? Probably unconscious bias again, being Americans and a sniff of inbreeding possibly? Maybe, maybe not. That said, I did come across them with 'The Bucket' when it was released, which I thought was pretty good at the time, then promptly forgot/ deliberately ignored them until they forced themselves into the collective public consciousness with that hideous 'Sex on Fire' song. On occasion I've wondered why they made it in the UK before the US, and after a brief enquiry, I may know now - they are hardly your average Nashville product. So definitely No Grand Ole Opry for this lot, must have made them a right buch of outcasts in Nashville, so im guessing Caleb chose a singing style far removed from your average musically inclined resident of that god-forsaken city. Discovering this fact has now made me much more amenable towards them! Anyway, had this in my collection for an eternity and now a have a reason to dig it out. It's actually pretty good and I can appreciate their talent as musicians, if not singers. It's a solid album, the best being; 'The Bucket', 'Pistol of Fire' and 'Rozz' and the garage rock sounding 'Four Kicks'. It's the sound of four brothers having a great time before the pressures of fame forced them to be more radio friendly. I really don't know what to give this in my enlightened state, this being a true benefit to doing this albums challenge. A generous low 4.

It's mostly upbeat and I enjoyed the freshness of the album, just the sound of a indie-rock band playing together really well and kudos for that. However nothing really sticks out as being particularly interesting, memorable or innovative apart from maybe the short "Slow Night, So Long" with it's laidback Latin groove. Not bad but not great either. 3.5

Yeah ok fairly forgetable rock

Competently middle of the road

A lovely album, not mind blowing genius or trailblazing innovation, but well made, catchy, well sung and interesting to listen to. I can't really fault it.

Yet another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex As an album, it's mediocre at best. The Bucket was my only highlight (only because I knew of it), but that wasn't enough to save me from boredom. 1.5

someday we will have to answer for the garage rock revival

Great album, nice to see it performed live. What was better was the music Kings of Leon put out after this.

Fav: Day Old Blues

Aha Shake Heartbreak doesn't have the sanded-down quality of its predecessor; Its boring comes from the production, retrospectively turning the thing into an expected American rock record. Insert obligatory comments about the singer's voice here. Past that, though, given a couple instrumental breaks from said voice, the pace stays up and vocals become instrumental instead of focused. That gives the album its life back for the back half.

Has velvet snow. + 3 stars. Is nearly as good as their debut. + 3 stars. ******

Uninspired, unoriginal, kinda boring and just some horrible vocals and lyrics, and yet this is the best I've heard from this band.

I like some of the music, and I kind of like the vocals. He at least has an interesting voice. Overall it’s an OK record.

The stuff i liked, I really liked. The stuff i didn't like, was almost un-listenable. I guess that evens out to a 3.

It was fine. Some of the songs I liked, a bunch I didn't. Probably won't play again anytime soon.

Ook zo'n band waarvan je de sound van mijlenver herkent. Goed plaatje

"Aha Shake Heartbreak" is the second album by American rock band Kings of Leon. Alternative rock, Southern rock and garage rock revival are the genres listed. Hmmm...garage rock revival is a new one for me. The album was produced by Ethan Johns and recorded in LA. The band is Followill brothers Caleb (vocals, rhythm guitar), Nathan (drums) and Jared (bass) and cousin Matthew Followill (lead guitar). The album received generally favorable reviews and, commercially, hit #3 in the UK and #55 in the US. A lead guitar slash and a slow rhythm guitar open "Slow Night, So Long." The band kicks in and the song progressively gets faster. Caleb's vocals are buried as he regrets sleeping with a 17-year old. They slow up the pace on "King of the Rodeo." And, again they pick up the pace. Layered melodic guitars. "Good Time To Roll on." Their first single "The Bucket" has catchy guitars. The soft-loud-soft dynamic. A melodic guitar. Standard rock sounding but one of the best songs on the album. It's about 17-year old bassist Jared dealing with fame. "Four Kicks" is more hard rocking and bluesy. OK, here's your Southern rock, actually punky blues sounding. The vocals work here. He's singing about his Dad getting into fights. This album is OK; I have to admit I wasn't expecting much. It does rock at times, if repetitive. There's nice layered, melodic guitars. The band is tight. The lyrics are standard rock fare: being in a band, different types of girls and, of course, fathers getting into fights. The singer to me is just OK. There are some songs here worth hearing and if you like them, you'll probably like the album.

I don't mind the Leons instrumental schtick - kind of Strokes meets Lynyrd Skynyrd - but that voice. He is doing something that makes it like scraping nails on a blackboard to listen to. If there later stuff is tending to Coldplay vibes then let's hope the vocals go with that, as beige would be distinct improvement on this.

there's just something about 2000's alt-rock that I love. They can sound fresh, despite being released in such a time, while employing sounds that were at least a decade old. This album in particular has amazing guitars and bass, as well as irresistible grooves.

2.75

I'm having a difficult time rating this. Musically it's very very good, very much up my alley. Vocally ... baffling. But by a few songs in, I kind of settled into the singing voice and stopped hating it so much, and I ended up really liking the album. Kind of blowing my mind that I never tried to listen to this band back in the mid 00s but here we are.

Weird album for me. I think it's important as a bridge between a time when alt rock had become very samey and when actually-alternative alt rock became widely commercial and popular. Some of the guitar work is very foundational for the alt rock of the 2010s. The AltNation SiriusXM station and many of the bands they play regularly owe a lot to Kings of Leon. Unfortunately, Caleb Followill's voice is unfuckingbearable.

I did not expect to like this album and I did not. I think maybe if a different band were playing the same songs I could get into it?

Ok, I don’t know why I thought Kings of Leon was a one-hit wonder band from the 2010s (I thought “Use Somebody” was more recent than it is.) The album was fine? I didn’t love the singer’s voice, and I also didn’t like how multiple songs started with instruments panned all the way to one side. But some of the songs were fun enough!

Who the absolute fuck is this vocalist doing an impression of, it was driving me nuts. However: for the most part, really liked the instrumentation! Bassist and drummer were real highlights, i would probably enjoy an instrumental version of this album 2.5

I cannot imagine describing this as influential or essential listening

A lot of reviews for this album call it an update for "southern rock" but I would like to put forth that this is the groundwork for emo music. Notably: whiny lyrics about being skinny and effeminate, and a lot of disdain for women. And tapered jeans. I remember when Four Kicks got really big on the music video channels and I thought it was annoying then too. 1.5

Ah, early Kings of Leon. How I've missed you. As a review once memory put it "a vocalist who sounds like he's gargling rock". I loved these guys first couple of albums, there was something very raw and gritty about them (plus, bonus fact, possibly the SWEATIEST gig I ever went to on a boiling hot London night at the Astoria). Yes, they went on to become stadium rock superstars, but the bluesy rock of the first couple of albums - magical.

Lots of my favorite KOL songs. Great album front to back. His voice is less polished that later on and I like it that way.

This band is okay. I feel like I should like it better though.

There really is nothing wrong with this album and I don't dislike it al all, but if you put it among the giants on the rest of this 1001 list, this really feels like a pretty tame and barely decent indie rock album. Musically it is quite well put together, even though rhythmically nor musically it can hardly be called adventurous. And after these 3 listens in the last day, this album goes back in its case, likely never to be listened to again. 2*

basic indie rock with a really annoying singer

It’s ok

Suburban indie rock and I hate it so much

I was expecting this to be TERRIBLE based on the reviews of Bailey and Kelly but I actually found it to be just VERY BAD

Some interesting riffs but goddamn is that man singing in English or??? 35 minutes felt like 70. Pro tip: drop the “pipes”, it’s much better when he’s not signing. 2/5 would not listen to again.

3.5 I was never the biggest fan of KoL. Their hits in ‘08 and after we’re all I knew. I thought Caleb Followill had a really good voice but there was always something I thought was missing in their music, though I could never name what I meant. I also knew their earlier fans didn’t like the new radio stuff but I was never intrigued enough to investigate. Well I can say I understand the early fans’ complaints. I thought this album was much better than their earlier work. It sounds more raw, more authentic and more genuine. I was pleasantly surprised. I put “Where Noboday knows”, “Slow Noght, So Long” and “The Bucket” on my likes songs lists

I liked it a lot more than I expected Probably closer to a 3.5 though

eh...

If this had been the first KoL record I listened to, I never would've listened again. This record is musically creative, but Caleb Followill incites violence in me with at least half of his "vocals" on this record. His obnoxious noises were completely unnecessary to set this album apart.

This is just plain awful.

Raw and untamed but in the bad way.

An interesting choice of album for the kings of Leon. Feel like they have significantly better albums. This one was not good. The singer did his best to be annoying throughout the whole thing while also being the horniest man on earth. This album felt like a collection of covers of other bands songs like the strokes and rhcp. This album was not a good reflection of why kings of Leon were popular. Won’t revisit this one. 4.1/10

2.5 // Started off bad, ended on a high note Fav: Rememo

I thought this album was whatever, then Day Old Blues disabused me of that notion and pushed me towards an active dislike of it. The playing is whatever, the singing is awful, grating, and feels super tryhard. Incredibly, every attempt at style is wrong and bad and annoying, he doesn’t even hit something good on accident.

*sigh*. This may have lasted a bit better than other contemporaneous acts. But not much. It’s good, but not really a must listen.

I can’t believe that I’ve ignored this band for 20 years. I loved this album. When I first started listening, I thought Caleb was singing in another language. Whatever. I live his voice. The drummer is great. The variety of styles on the album always keeps me engaged. I usually love brevity, so a dozen songs in 35 minutes isto be admired, although there are quite a few times here where the songs feel like they’ve been cut short by ill-advised editing. I can’t wait to check out their other albums. So many great trax on this one. And yes, sometimes they sound a helluva lot like The Strokes.

Yeesh, saviours of rock and roll? The Southern Strokes? Last proper band in town? I think not. Was rock so impoverished in 2004 that this passed for excitement? I swear I have heard bands playing this schtick as well or better to 30 people at a small bar in Marrickville. And his singing has a weird affectation that really grates on my nerves. Wildly inessential listening. 1.5 stars begrudgingly rounded up for not being completely rancid.

Jeg kan ikke bestemme mig for om de lyder som redneck RHCP eller hipster Creedence, men uanset hvad bliver det lidt for meget når man hører et helt album... The Bucket og Velvet Snow var gode

Bedre end jeg havde forventet at det ville være, hvilket siger ekstremt lidt

Træls oplevelse.... Simpelthen så ringe..

I was excited to hear this, I know a lot of people love it. Man..what a disappointment. Lackluster production, terrible vocals and uninspired lyrics.

I like Kings of Leon but I don't love Kings of Leon. I am surprised that Kings of Leon would be included in this list, but even more surprised that this album is. Their album Only By the Night is a much better album. Anyway, this album was just okay.

I enjoyed this, I remember when these guys hit the scene. I didn’t like them at first but music was in a weird place. The changing of the guard had happened. Out was grunge and in was this new rock. I really like these guys now.

What, Kings Of Leon AGAIN? Apparently, this LP is not even included in the latest editions of the 1001 album book. Which speaks volumes all by itself. This one is supposedly the album you must listen to if you prefer a more "authentic" Kings Of Leon, at least compared to their later silly arena-rock era. I'm far from being convinced, though. Apart from the lead singer's peculiar voice (more on that later), there's nothing that's really original or memorable in this record (except from one track--more on that later as well). Some people like to rant about mid-naughts British "landfill indie", and I agree with them that a lot of those rock acts heavily promoted in Britain at that time were underwhelming. Yet few people are talking about US "landfill retro-rock" around the same years. Even if that thing existed as well. About Caleb Followill's singing, it sure is an acquired taste, yet I have to admit it doesn't irk or grate my ears the way it does for many other reviewers in here. At least his strange drawl and mannerisms give a bit of character to what are otherwise quite bland compositions, without much in terms of harmonic and melodic inventiveness. The energy in this record is decent, but the musical dynamics, either for individual songs or the overall tracklisting, are somewhat botched. And some tracks even seem poorly mixed to my admittedly subjective ears. Maybe it's because it was quite an impossible task for a mixer to know what to do with that peculiar voice. Sometimes a technical flaw can turn into an artistic asset. But things can happen the other way around, unfortunately. One track stands out, however. It's "Milk", a moody cut with a very original song structure, instrumentation and vocal performance. If only more leftfield tracks like that had been interspersed with the bland riffs and jams plaguing the rest of this record, maybe you would have an LP worth your time. Interesting tidbit: when Lana Del Rey explained in an interview why she quoted Kings Of Leon's name in her own "White Dress", she mentioned that song and how it was related to her memories of the first small apartment she lived in during herearly adult years. If you listen closely to the two tracks, you can even see how "Milk" actually inspired the chord progression and particularly extravagant vocal parts of "White Dress". Another reason to find this tune endearing. And a way to state that I only have benevolent feelings for early fans of the band--it's just that two decades after the release of this record, I honestly can't see the appeal it can have for new listeners these days. You had to be there in those "landfill retro-rock" years, I guess. Two stars instead of one, then, mostly because of "Milk" and the missed opportunity for a greater album Kings Of Leon had at the time. Which translates to a 7/10 grade for purposes that are more genral than the ones you need to select "essential" albums. Next please. Number of albums left to review: 399 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 271 Albums from the list might* include in mine later on: 144 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 187

Somewhat diverse rock album with some occasionally difficult to understand lyrics.

They sound like every band you've heard in a bar that thinks that they're going to make it big. Somehow, Kings of Leon pulled it off.

Lame shit

Generic. Forgettable. Did not need to hear it before I die

This was a solid if somewhat forgettable early 2000s rock album. I enjoyed listening to it, but I'll be darned if I can remember what I listened to a day later. Those vocals were rough though, I do remember that. Fave Songs: The Bucket, Rememo, Soft, Velvet Snow, Four Kicks, King of the Rodeo

"Soft" has gotta be the hardest song about E.D. ever written.

Back when K.O.L. were still decent

I’m thoroughly charmed by this. Loose unpretentious rock. Some of the music is influenced by 70s/80s hard rock ("Taper Jean Girl," "Pistol of Fire") except they’re not playing it quite as hard. Kings of Leon follows more in the mold of Coldplay's mellow sound ("Milk") but their rhythm section also has this fun bounce that reminds me of the first Vampire Weekend album. It lends the music a good times vibe. (They literally sing "Let the good times roll" on "King of the Rodeo.") I love how short and sweet these songs are too. This is a very easy album to listen to. I can tell already I'm going to listen to it a bunch more.

I used to think this band was overrated, and that they were a straightforward rock band. Then I started to listen to more of them and some of their tracks that aren't just radio singles and I started to like them, and then I started to read a lot of people hating on them so my current stance is that they are overhated. I don't think they are really an amazing band and I don't frequently reach for an album of theirs to put on when I need something to fill silence, and I don't frequently reach for tracks of theirs to throw onto a playlist. I am surprised that this is the album of theirs that is on this list and it makes me wonder if there are more to come? Because this one isn't necessarily packed with strong songs. In fact, per Spotify, none of their top 10 tracks come from this record (and 4 of the 9 come from the album "Only By The Night"). I know I said that I tend to like their non-radio tracks more, but I find it perplexing that this album is here and potentially not "Only By The Night", which has so many of their radio hits on it... and really in my opinion this is a radio band, regardless of my opinion So there's probably more to come? Everyone knows them for songs like "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody". One thing that I've been trying to balance with these is that so many of these albums have some kind of context involved. I just spewed all of these biases I have towards the band, for better or worse. Do I just listen to this record on it's own, pretend like I've never heard of them, and then give a fair rating? I think that would be great! But I also don't think it's necessarily a bad idea to think of each album with some kind of context. Did an album change the direction of it's music genre? If so, it's absolutely getting a higher rating from me, even if my natural thinking is to not enjoy the songs for what they are. "Milk" felt kind of cringey to me. I've always felt like the singer of this band wants to have a raspy voice but tries just SO hard to get it. Sometimes this happens and it's really embarrassing (see videos of Puddle of Mudd covering Nirvana) and he really borders on this here. This isn't my favorite release by them, but I stand by my first thoughts that this band has more in the tank than just their radio hits.

Immediately nostalgic. - Still pretty unique and exciting

как сказала мама "классический альбом 70х") добавлю что нифига слова не понятны, зачем так))

Remember hearing this around 2004/2005 as an advance thing. I’ve enjoyed it over the years. But always felt like KoL left a little to be seen. Like they only got part of the way to where they could have.

it was pretty good

the strokes but not as good

vocals unbearable

Objective vitutus tätä kuunnellessa... Arvosana on tuskan takana..

Why is this on the list, now I want to die.

Hated the singing on the first listen, started to grow in me the second time around. 3 for now, may revisit at a later date

It was good. Keeping rock alive

This album used to be played almost every other day in a flat I was in during my uni years . I can’t help but love it for the nostalgia it gives me

Better than expected. I've always kinda hated the band because of Sex on Fire.

Would've been a 5 easy back in the day, but it's still very good even if some of that is nostalgia. This is the glory days of KOL back when you couldn't understand anything they said

whinier than i recall.

Nice sound

one of the most boring albums i ever heard... and the ones that weren't boring were terrible... is it the worst I heard on this list? No, Bright Flight was worse. Is it the second worst? Probably! 1/5

3.0 - Seeing one KOL record on this list felt surprising, two borders on lunacy. While I do like the Strokes-esque guitar work on here, the mumble-babble vocals do nothing to elevate any of these songs beyond a few occasional head bops.

Like every Kings of Leon song I’ve listened, it’s fine but something about them just doesn’t grab me. They sound empty, like they’re all surface with little substance

This might be my least favourite Kings of Leon album. They're good musicians but the songs don't cut it here. Second half in particular drags. Not sure why this one is in the book.

Imagine a band where every single artistic decision doesn't even come remotely close to landing. I present: Kings of Leon

Kelpo poprock mutta eipä ihmeellisempi. Kaipaan koukkuja 2/5

Toimiihan tämä, 3/5. Mutta en kyllä tajua mitä tekee listalla.

En ihan tajunnut tätä levyä. 2/5

I like this. Less refined and catchy as the later album with Sex On Fire etc, but a good guitar sound reminiscent of The Strokes. Accomplished drumming and bass too. Singing is pretty rapid fire, but not unpleasant. High 3 stars.

a pretty good mid-00s indie rock album. despite it's relatively short length, there's not a lot of variation here. a lot of the songs sound the same and are sort of the same tempo and feel. it's not bad, but it doesn't make for a super compelling album. i had never listened to one of their albums before, so this was a new experience. i can't say that listening to this one is going to amount to me going out of my way for more, but it wasn't awful. it's in the realm of the music that i liked back then and still like, but it just doesn't fully click for me.

Album #: 272 first impressions: *shudder* I just got the Black Keys two days ago, isn't that enough unchecked testosterone for one week. after listening through: barely coherent horny mumbling and moaning over bluesy, crunchy garage-y rock. it clearly shows they've listened to a lot of the classics (for better or worse,) but it does not seem like it should be allowed to be listened to in the daytime or around children. Except, you know, for a Jeep commercial or something. That's Kings of Leon for you. I do not think anyone was shocked to learn these guys had serious problems w alcohol. but anyway, i guess it was more fun than expected if you simply pretend this man isn't trying to sing in English. post-reading reviews/wiki: i do not want to believe how many people like this. i guess that's what happens when u get a lot of sweaty young (white) men doing these reviews recommended for: montages of the type of bros who call women "chicks" in public and "females" online trying to act swaggy at dingy bars w sticky floors; finding motivation to take a shower.

A nice and modern mixture of CCR and Zeppelin. It is a shame that they killed this vibe to be more mainstream.

I listened to most of this whilst driving through Sheffield - a city I really don't know at all. As a result it's a bit of a blur if I'm honest. There were some nice moments, but I'll need to take the time to listen to this again perhaps to get a better impression

This is an album that you have to let grow on you. I didn’t understand it fully when I heard it as a good, but I thought it was unique and had a mystique to it. Caleb’s voice is mesmerizing to me, I think those who do not like it can consider their opinion valid, but I would credit the polarizing atmosphere of this album to the chances this album took, it’s like punk country. Small town Oklahoma boys, ripping up some guitar and laying some delicious drum fills to some expert bass lines and the vocals are not to be understood, but to be felt. It’s primal, and it’s fucking punk rock!

This was better than expected. I can imagine that this sounded new back then. I kinda like Caleb's voice. Didn't know they were a family band, omg. Only knew their radio singles. + King Of The Radio + Taper Jean Girl + Pistol Of Fire + Milk + Day Old Blues + Razz

I like it, although I prefer "Only By The Night" album.

melodic. dull.

Very good

why?

Kannte von ihnen nur die zwei Singles Sex on Fire und Use Somebody. Das Album hat mir in weiten Teilen gut gefallen, der letzte Song, und vielleicht der vorletzte auch, hätten nicht sein müssen. Höre ich gerne wieder.

3/13, 23%

I'm not sure if his voice is genius or annoying, either way I'm pretty sure I didn't love this but didn't think it was terrible

These guys don't really move the needle for me in either direction, and nothing I heard here changed that. Best track: The Bucket

Guay, agradable.

I don't know why this guy sings so unintelligibly. I think I prefer their later output, but this was fine.

Meh

I like their energy and the sound of the band. No big hits here but a good solid album.

Feien evolució a petits pasos. Si el primer recuperava el rock de fortes arrels 70s, aquí ja començaven a deixar alguna pista del rock més contemporani i original que havien d'oferir molt aviat. Cançons més treballades, més madures i millor acabades que el debut

Heard of the band before, but didn’t know anything from the album. This was a nice surprise. Definitely a different band with a unique style and cadence. I thought it was a great listen. Favorite tracks: Soft, The Bucket, For Kicks, Slow Night So Long, King of the Rodeo, Taper Jean Girl, Milk. 3.5/5

A bit short Have other better albums

I like it. I'm so tired of Sex on Fire that I just tuned out these guys, but they make some good music.

Some good songs but overall I don't really like the atmosphere of it

I'm surprised to get two Kings of Leon albums and neither of them was the huge 2008 album that was super popular with my generation. Either way, this one was still really good with a good mix of emotional slow songs and some really fun fast-paced ones. I especially enjoyed King of the Rodeo and the Bucket. The previous album of theirs that I got came on after this one ended and I think I've grown to appreciate that one a bit more too.

There's a few Kings of Leon songs that I like but none of them are on this album. It's not terrible though, I was just expecting more.

Never got on the Kings of Leon train, never could stand the singer's voice.

Wow, I was not expecting this to be good. I actually thought this was pretty decent, I was very surprised.

The music is decent but I strongly dislike the lead singer, especially the mush-mouth delivery of most of the songs - he brings it down a star in my book unfortunately

Kings of Leon has some good songs but none of them were on this album.

There’s moments of some really solid guitar in this album and then some moments of chaos so I’m torn. I do like Kings of Leon’s later stuff a lot better.

Had no idea that was the name of this album. Devastated to realise this is nearly 20 years old too... I bet they'd be great fun to see at a festival but I can't see myself thinking "Ooh you know what, I'm going to put on some Kings of Leon, that'll hit the spot"

Love this album. There are some super fun songs, mixed with more mellow and reflective tracks.

Voice doesn't do it for me but couple of good tracks

Decent album but nothing special

Surprised at how good some of the guitar lines were on this one, but as others have noted the lead singer sounds like he’s choking on his own tongue and it kind of ruins the vibe 😔

When I saw the name I groaned. I think it might have aged well which is unusual given it was a Beaujolais rather than a Bordeaux.

This is more raw and adventurous than I was expecting, since the only place I've ever heard them was Indie88. My co-judge likened the lead singer to Jonathon Richmond. He's both an asset and a liability, IMO.

Did not grab me. No Sex on fire either.

This is a Kings Of Leon record alright. They have never done much for me other than Your Sex Is On Fire, and this album so far is not doing much to change that. Their rock and roll is fine, but the lead singer sounds like his mouth is full of mothballs. What a bland time.

This was just ok. All the songs kind of sound the same and there is little variety. Also I can't stand singers that mumble the whole god damn time and really takes away from the album. He's mumbling now on a studio album... imagine hearing him in concert. 5/10.

Never have I ever desired to listen to Kings of Leon -- at least this is short. Instrumental opening is fine, but as soon as the vocals came in I remembered why it was that I've never seeked them out. For such a punchable voice they have no right putting the vocals so elevated in the mix. Milk made me actually want to tear my ears off. The Bucket wasn't much better. The run from Soft through Four Kicks is as good as this album gets. If I squint, Soft reminds me a bit of the euro rock invasion (Strokes, etc.) -- about as enjoyable as this album has been so far. Razz is another solid one -- hopping from foot to foot. Day Old Blues pulls things down to a more somber note, which works outside of the goddamned chorus -- this guys voice is brutal. Four Kicks might be the best one on here. Whiskey soaked guitar riff in a barroom shuffle with incoherent vocals playing more of an instrumental role than anything else. Not much to remark on through the remainder. This was not my cup of tea... I've got a high tolerance for expressive vocals, but this is the first album in quite a while where I outright rejected the lead singer. Something about his voice just shit all over any forward progress most instrumentals made. Really didn't help that they put it so forward in the mix. Even so, there were a few places where it "worked" okay. Soft 2 / 5 for me.

I really thought I would like this more than I did

Has an interesting folky/southern twang to what I expected to be a more generic rock album. Seems like they found some success with commercial alternative rock and ran with it, which is the Kings of Leon that I know. Pretty solid album. Not quite what I was expecting, but it is good.

Some kind of weird folk punk mix that I didn't really jive with. The song Day Old Blues annoyed me

I didn't realize Kings of Leon were 3 brothers and a cousin. Interesting. Tim let's do it. The singers voice is kinda annoying. I like Taper Jean Girl and feel like I've definitely heard it before. Honestly not much else doing it for me on this record but I do enjoy some of the instrumentals a bunch.

this dudes voice lol

Not quite my jam, not a fan of the vocals. 2.75/5

Worst. Voice. Ever.

Legal

3.8

Went in expecting to hate this but it's very listenable. Not something I'm going to spin on the regular, but can understand their appeal a bit more now

Hmm :/

Said it before on Kings of Leon missed them first time around. Probably would have loved them if I was more actively listening at the time.

Very generic. Not my tastes so I personally didn't enjoy it. I see the appeal though. 6/10

I like Kings of Leon but a whole album starts to feel quite the same. 3*

Was expecting much more.

There were moments where I really didn't hate this, but there were moments I really did.

This album was okay. The more I listened the less I found to really like.

I don't know this band but there is something about the name Kings of Leon that I find a little off-putting. I found the record at turns super-catchy-fun-rockabilly and then annoying. More fun than not, though.

I like the Kings of Leon and listened to their more popular later album when it came out. This one had some good spots, although there was something just slightly off about it for me. Not terrible, but not terribly great either.

decent rock album, not too notable to me.

Oh to be 16 again. There's no way I can be impartial about this album because it was one of those that I listened to and loved as a teenager. And so every note has memories and emotions attached that have basically nothing to do with the album itself. And despite the 20 odd year gap, I still remember every note. Trying to be objective, I do really like this album. 4 kicks and The bucket are two standout songs, but there's not a bad song on the album. I know it's a bit rough, especially the vocals and there isn't perhaps a great variety in the music itself. But that's part of the charm, it's a good 00s indie rock album. It's probably a 3 star album, but I want to give it 5 stars for the memories. For 4 seems fair

I’d heard these guys’ radio hits and liked them well enough, so I was kinda interested in hearing a whole KoL album. It’s not very good at all. It sounds like someone took the small town college frat/party band and put them in a studio and hoped the production would smooth out the rough edges.

I sure hope the singer isn’t saying anything important because it’s impossible to understand what he’s singing. Is the sound he makes more important than the words? Is this in fact an instrumental album? Whilst not entirely without merit, I suspect this purports to be fashionable and hip but will eventually be used to sell cars or feature on soundtracks; there are better bands to be found doing something similar.

Like the other Kings of Leon album, I didn't enjoy the vocals. Also it was listenable to I guess? Still thought it was pretty meh. 2.5/5

Dat viel me tegen

Die stem... soms geweldig, soms echt irritant. Verder tof, maar ik heb mijn hart al verloren aan een ander plaatje van ze en dit is zo'n bandje waarvan je maar ruimte hebt voor 1.

Fijn plaatje! Toen de Kings of Leon nog in hun opstartfase zaten en lekkere catchy en puntige rocksongs maakte. I.p.v. die aalgladde middle-of-the-road stadionrock van de latere jaren.

Prettig!

Bland

balls

The vocals are distracting. The sings really do do much for me. It seems very average. 2.5/5 Standouts: (none).

I heard that Kings of Leon's early stuff was actually good, and I do remember the snippets of the debut I heard on every advert break in 2003 sounding alright, but I've never felt compelled to check it out because everything I've heard from them on the radio has been unmitigated shite. This is alright I suppose, the book removed it from my edition so no idea why they thought it was special over the supposedly better debut. The first track is decent enough, nice guitar noodlings. After that though I'm just getting annoyed by his voice and very affected way of singing, and the mildly bluesy rock is quite boring. Bucket is ok but basically like a less good Strokes, I've got the Strokes albums after the debut if I want to listen to that. So yeah I won't be bothering listening to the debut or this again.

Pretty average, but fun enough

Nope

Average garage rock album with quite simple music and a singer whose voice distracts a lot from the music itself.

Getting this album I thought, oh this must be the album with that Sex on Fire song and that other huge hit they had. Imagine my surprise when I didn't recognize any of the tracks and learned this came before that. I actually prefer the sound of this to their later more commercial stuff. However the singers voice really grated me on a couple of tracks

Sounded like horny rock the whole time: like I guess it wasn't that bad with a decent beat to it and a nice guitar BUT it sounded so late 00's early 10's and I wasn't a fan of that. It just hasn't aged very well for my ears and almost was underwhelming as to what I thought it could be, a half decent modern rock album. Alas it was mid and nothing could save it from that fact.

Pas pire. J'ai aimé et c'est pas trop intense pour une enre de pop punk .. 3

Kings of Leon- Pretty cool rock music - I see the strokes comparison. I see why this guy who made list likes it but not sure it belongs in this list. Kinda rough around the edges compared to their later arena rock albums. Didn’t realize these guys were brothers/ cousins and were very young when they made this/ just started playing their instruments. Milk is a weird tune The bucket- cool pedal 2.5

I don’t like this band These kind of strokes-esque songs with the relentlessly shitty guitars get old really fast for me The singer has a unique voice but i always found it a little obnoxious Only tune I recognized was taper Jean girl but I didn’t realize that was them. Milk was maybe the most interesting song I was very psyched for this album to be over

I’ve never heard any of these songs. Everything was ALMOST exciting but never quite hit the mark for me. His voice should be exciting but it really annoyed me.

Good music. I'm just not sure what exactly it is supposed to be. There's not much to remember about these guys.

Wow, that was an amazing listening. I really loved it from start to end, I like the vibe so much. The rythm of the album is super good and it alternates calmer moments with catchy parts. Favorite Tracks : Soft, Four Kicks Rating : 4.5 / 5

Somehow a hard album to rate.... I kind of like it but after a 2nd listen it felt pretty bland with get repetitive instrumentals.... 2.5/5 leaning towards 3

Ok. Good band.

It’s solid but nothing special, I definitely prefer the first album 3/5

KOL has it's place in the whole music lexicon, but I don't have a place for it in my heart.

I’m not sure where Leon is but they need to violently overthrow the monarchy

Can't get past the awful singing

Top dit! Vette, originele sound, leuke nummers. Jammer dat ze later zo zijn afgez(w)akt.

I really enjoyed this!! I didn't enjoy the first KOL album which I am told is when they were best (at the beginning), I thought I'd find this just as boring but it was much more catchy and interesting. I think if I'd found this when it came out I would have more memories attached and nostalgia and really love this now. However, now here we are in 2023 and I know KOL got shit so I'm not about to invest time into getting into it.

Really, really ,really enjoyed listening to this

Ah a great era of Kings of Leon! You love to hear it. Before they did what Coldplay and Biffy Clyro did and went on chugging out pop pleasers there were some really fun songs in here. Enjoyed this a lot

The much better end of Kings of Leon. I like this stuff but I do just get a negative feeling toward them from his voice because of the rubbish they churned out later.

This is not as bad as I was expecting it to be. I am not sure what I thought this band was, but I didn't think they had a pseudo post-punk/garage revival sound. Seems like they are just a Poor Man's version of The Strokes, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. This was fine.

This one grew on me. By the end, I was sold on the whole vibe and feel of the album. It's strong and plays rough without being jagged and unpolished. The recording quality is maybe not the greatest but it also seems somewhat intentional so I can get behind it. I don't know, man. It was a pretty good time. It's nice to hear some rock and roll on this list again. It's been a while.

So this is how the Kings of Leon started out... as another nameless indie rock band. No real surprise lol. It's "bluesy" and "southern rock" in that way people say Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is: not at all, but hipsters need to pretend they're listening to more than just nameless indie rock. Singer is pretty bad, guess he took lessons at some point after this album. Not that he's exactly Pavarotti now, but there's been a marked improvement. This was short enough and didn't honestly suck, but we all know it's a retroactive addition based on their later success. Wouldn't ever listen again, and I don't like their later stuff either, but it's a safe 3/5.

Slow night,so long-like giutar, gonna ignore lyrics👍 king of the rodeo- seems like the chorus has too many lyrics in it and bad outro Taper jean girl- another quite oof song lol Pistol of fire- cool guitar solo, good transition, bad lyrics again👍 milk- this is just straight up bad, stripped down doesnt work here The bucket- meh, giving adcore Soft- thanks for the honesty i guess👍 Razz- what is with all these songs ragging on your brother 👍 day old blues- a snooze and also borderline yodelling lol four kicks- riff is fine, vocals are getting annoying velvet snow- quite repetitive and generic Rememo- bit more bluesy, interesting 👍 Where nobody knows-this is fine👍 Pretty mediocre soft rock 2/5

I'm a fan of King of Leon - yes, even their Sex on Fire era, as overblown as it was, but nothing they've done since really compares to their first couple albums (this one and Youth & Young Manhood). Raw, tight, gripping rock n roll. Caleb's unique voice and delivery helps set the band apart and define their sound. The album drags in a couple places but overall a great listen.

Never took the time to listen to these guys back in the day, but I think I should have. The main thing that keeps going through my head when listening to this is how good it would sound in a small to medium sized club. Production is perfectly stripped down. Feels genuinely soulful - which is a relatively rare quality in indie rock. Okay, I listened to some of their bigger hits which came later, not from this album, and now I know why I passed on them way back when: they have that melodramatic, overproduced sound that movie soundtracks and TV commercials love, and which I hate. But on this album at least, they got it right.

Definitely a band I'd enjoy live but not the sorta thing I wanna listen on my own much. I do like the rougher vocals on this early Kings of Leon album compared to "Sex is on Fire" era. Thing still feel a bit too indie-rock for me, that meaning it's a bit formulaic and the songs are just kinda there, nothing is really memorable here.

I love the voice and the rock is enjoyable, but nothing exceptional.

Decent southern rock album that personally could have done without some of the more raw signing

Pop un tanto insustancial y sin demasiado ritmo. Voz distintita, pero le falta algo de fuerza y energía al disco. Aun así, se escucha bien

When the right thing is done almost correctly, this results: Soulless but quality songs. It's not a bad album, but totally forgettable.

7/10. Quite enjoyable, but it all blended together