Come Around Sundown: Kings of Leon Album Review

Coming off one of the most popular rock albums in the last five years the Kings of Leon had great expectations to produce another chart topping album. What did they do? Did they make another chart topping single like Sex on Fire or Use Somebody? in fact they went in the opposite direction from their last album. Come Around Sundown is more of who the Kings of Leon want their music to go towards. They want their true fans to stay with them and their "Sex Somebody" fans to die off. I think this album has really no faults to it and can be listened all the way through without a skip of a song. The album starts off with The End which is a very powerful song with great vocals from lead singer Caleb Followill. Radioactive is their first single off the album and is a song about their roots and realizing your past. The albums third song  Pyro is a slower paced song but has very powerful guitars and drums and is rumored to be their next single. Mary is a lot different the most Kings songs and sounds more like a 60's type rhythm and has more blasting vocals from Caleb. The Face is another slower paced songs with drawn out vocals showcasing Calebs superb voice and is a very powerful song. One of my favorite songs on the album The Immortals could be KOL's best written songs they've ever wrote. Its such an uplifting song talking about how to live your life the way you want to live it and not by anybody else. Back Down South is a great song that isn't very similar to any other songs they have on their past albums. Beach Side is a great song showing off Jared Followills amazing bass riffs and how he can take you on a ride with his sweet sounding jams. No Money is deffinatly their hardest sounding song on the album and has a potential to be their new sex on fire type anthem. Pony Up is a very catchy song that will keep growing on you until it becomes one of favorites on the album. I cannot stop listening to it as we speak. Birthday is another great song that shows off Calebs great voice and is very catchy song after a few listens. Mi Amigo probably the weakest song on the album but that doesn't mean it isn't a good song. I still like the song but it needs some listening to to appreciate it. The album ends with Pickup Truck which is a great way to end the album and I believe it could be a very popular song if they choose it to be a single.

Come Around Sundown from top to bottom is a very good album and is a great follow up from Only by The Night. I think this album will not get as much commercial success as OBTN because I dont believe their is a Sex on fire or Use Somebody on this album but I think that is a good thing so that the fans can discover each song in the album and realize how powerful each song is. I put this album 3rd for their best albums behind Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of The Times and ahead of Only By the Night and Youth and Young Manhood. I hope the Kings keep going in the musical direction they are striving for because their musical talent is only going to get better and I believe the best is yet to come. I'm very excited to hear them live and hear many songs off their new album because of the power they bring to them.

J.W. 80%
N.Z. 83%

The End ***
Radioactive ****
Pyro ***
Mary ***
The Face ****
The Immortals *****
Back Down South ****
Beach Side ***
No Money ****
Pony Up ***
Birthday ***
Mi Amigo **
Pickup Truck *****