The Kings of Leon: "Because of the Times"

Forget what you read about this album on Pitchfork. Those guys wouldn't know a good album if it snuck up and bit them in the ass. Because of the Times, the outstanding third recording from this talented southern family (three brothers and a cousin), mixes southern rock lyrical ideas (mostly hot cars and equally hot chicks) with modern garage-rock guitar heroics.

The epic opening track, "Knocked Up," is similar to "Free Bird" only in length. The Kings of Leon rely on atmosphere and texture to get their point across. You won't find five minutes of guitar soloing, but you will hear harmonics juxtaposed with an insistent yet simple rhythm. The guys in the background chant their "oh oh oh's" while the lead singer tells us about how he got his girlfriend pregnant and he's going off to marry her, no matter what his mother thinks.

The volume get's kicked into high gear on the wild cut, "Charmer." Imagine what Modest Mouse would sound like if they really cranked up their guitars and you have this track. The vocals are screachy and annoying, but fit the track perfectly. The love song "On Call" demonstrates the boy's ability to knock out a fairly standard modern rock tune, with its chunky guitars and melodic vocal hook. The album continues with a surprisingly adventurous mixture of angry guitar rock, especially on the tracks "True Love Way" and "Camaro."

Because of the Times is so good that it encouraged me to check out the other albums from this band. I encourage any fan of modern rock to do the same.