Kings Of Leon – Because Of The Times

There’s a point past fatigue where non-essential functions shut down and you exist in an elemental, almost trancelike state. It’s the starting point for Kings Of Leon’s third album, and no wonder: The Followill family band spent much of the past two years on the road, headlining clubs and opening for the likes of U2 and Bob Dylan.

It sounds like the three brothers and their cousin didn’t even pause for a nap before heading back to the studio to cut Because Of The Times, a fierce record built on hypnotic grooves that simmer and seethe until they explode into a riot of snarling guitars and anguished vocals. These thirteen new songs are the most compelling the band has yet written, extending far beyond the raw southern garage-rock on their 2003 debut Youth & Young Manhood and the more textured tunes on 2004’s Aha Shake Heartbreak. It’s the sound of nervous exhaustion, and it’s at once world-weary and electrifying on “Knocked Up”, the woozy seven-minute rave-up that opens the album with an insistent, loping bassline and swirling guitars.

Singer Caleb Followill shrieks like he’s desperate for relief on the dirty rocker “Charmer”, and croaks out a deceptively sweet melody on “Fans” as the gentle acoustic rhythm part is inundated by a huge wave of distorted electric guitar. Skuzzy riffs and howling lead lines are everywhere on this record, lending the songs an air of wrung-out intensity that feels like 4:30 Monday morning after a wide-awake weekend.