Album review: Kings of Leon, 'Come Around Sundown'
2 stars (out of 4)
Kings of Leon have a lot riding on their fifth studio album, “Come Around Sundown” (RCA), a chance to cement their status as the “It” band of the moment, the sexy, drawling, Southern-fried royalty of arena rock.
They are among the increasingly rare rock stars in a world dominated by hip-hop and R&B, with an unbeatable, myth-making back story: The three Followill brothers (bassist Jared, vocalist Caleb, drummer Nathan) who make up the core of the band (along with their guitar-playing cousin Matthew) grew up playing holy-roller boogie while traveling the South with their preacher-father.
The Tennessee quartet took half-a-decade before breaking through to the mainstream, developing a bigger following in Europe on the festival circuit than in the United States. A 2008 album, “Only by the Night,” was the great leap forward, at least commercially, with massive hits in "Sex on Fire", "Use Somebody" and "Notion." Now comes “Come Around Sundown,” which reunites the band with “Only by the Night” producers Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King.
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