Today's Music That Jason Likes, But Just As A Friend is Kings of Leon's Because of the Times. The Kings of Leon are a band that I like more in concept than in execution, sadly. I bet they put on a kick-ass show, and I think they are genuine, which counts for a great deal. But I haven't been able to get into their music yet, not really.
I don't think Kings of Leon rock too hard for me, that's not it. I'm not from the South, and they're obviously a group of southern boys, though I don't know if that's it. Maybe there just isn't enough tension and release in their music. I mean, listen to a song like Pink Floyd's "Mother", when the electric guitar comes in and it just washes everything else away, and its entrance comes at the perfect point in the song. Kings of Leon make good use of their guitars, and some of their songs are almost anthemic, but I can't name one song of theirs that has that effect on me. So maybe that's it, that Kings of Leon make music which is good but doesn't hold anything special for me.
In any event, Because of the Times is a pretty good album, and has a great title. There are distorted, bright guitars here, laid-back dirty vocals, drums that build to a pretty good crash. It's bluesy, southern rock, though I can't say that I'd take this over, say, The White Stripes or even The Black Keys. I guess if you're really interested in Kings of Leon, you'd have to check them out for yourself. I don't know why Support Your Local Catgun is so melancholy and dissenting this afternoon; maybe it's just what you get on a Friday afternoon.