1001 Albums Summary

Album doesn’t get going until light my fire. Then it gets special.

The album and, indeed, early Kings of Leon, is straightforward. What takes this album a step above others of its year is Caleb’s voice. When unleashed, as it is on “Joe’s Head” and the chorus of “Molly’s Chambers,” you’re drawn in for a good time. “Trani” highlights the manipulations and Dylan-equestrian phrasing that he can be capable when he turns it on. But the band doesn’t always match his inventiveness and at times, such as with “California Waiting” and “Dusty,” sound uninspired. There are few secrets here but, if you like jingle jangly, frenetic rock with a driving drum beat, the kind you listen to on a road trip with the top down and cooler of Natty Light in the trunk, this is the album for you.

Very interesting, fun, and unexpected. The orchestral arrangements give a 60s flair to the songs. Many of the songs sounds similar but the closer, “Time Has Come Again,” is a nice surprise.