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THE OVER/UNDER

The Over/Under: Kings Of Leon

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Part of the early appeal of Kings Of Leon was their magazine-ready background story. Raised by an itinerant, defrocked minister, the photogenic Followill family had the musical skills to match the back story, not to mention some truly impressive facial hair. The band had been long acclaimed in England, but it wasn’t until last year’s Only By The Night, with terrific lead single “Sex On Fire,” that the Kings finally got the attention they deserved in their native land. The band will be touring into the fall, so why not find out which songs they need to put on their setlist and which need to be stricken from the record?

The Five Most Overrated Kings Of Leon Songs
1. “Charmer” (2007)

Because Of The Times is an absolutely, unquestionably brilliant album. How four hillbilly brothers/cousins pulled off a pop masterpiece is a question best left to the musicologists among us. But how “Charmer” became the album’s biggest success is even stranger. That yelp? That boring bit of narcisssm (“She’s always looking at me!”), not mention a rhyme scheme that’s downright silly (“She sold my karma/Sold it to the farmer”)? Oh no, indeed.

2. “Wasted Time” (2003)
“Wasted Time” was one of the Kings’ early successes, which doesn’t really make sense. Although Youth & Young Manhood is a remarkably strong debut and “Wasted Time” has a good hook at its center, it features Caleb’s vocals at their most irritating. “Wasted Time” is pretty unintelligible, and when you look at the lyrics, you realize that’s for the best. While Caleb might like to talk a big game, “Wasted Time” features some of his least sexy lines. (“Shakin’ your apple right in my face”?) And we thought “Sex On Fire” was nonsensical.

3. “Manhattan” (2008)
Only By The Night might’ve been the band’s big break, but it just left me kind of cold. Aside from “Sex On Fire,” most of its songs were overdone, underthought and overpromoted. U2-sized anthem “Manhattan” doesn’t have much to say about either the city or the drink, and it comes off as bland and boring, little more than hot air. “Manhattan” earned the band comparisons to the Black Crowes and is one of the Kings’ top-downloaded songs on iTunes. In what universe should those two things intersect?

4. “Four Kicks” (2004)
One of the Kings’ most recognizable songs, “Four Kicks” is entertaining the first time you hear it. And maybe the second. After that, those staccato vocals and the repetitive song structure get very old, very fast. “The Bucket” was unquestionably one of the best tracks off of Aha Shake Heartbreak, arguably the band’s best album. But this song’s warm reception is pretty inexplicable, its fistfight posturing just slightly silly. Does anyone actually think the Followill clan would win in a fight?

5. “Use Somebody” (2008)
The problem with “Use Somebody” is the same problem facing most of the songs on Only By The Night. It’s so massively produced that even the faint hint of a good song gets buried underneath the chimes. “Sex On Fire” might’ve succeeded based on charm and confidence, but “Use Somebody” falls flat in both respects. The Kings are always at their best when pushed to the edge and stripped-down; on Only By The Night, they just sound too comfortable. “Use Somebody” became the album’s second single, when it’s best forgotten about.

The Five Most Underrated Kings Of Leon Songs
1. “Wicker Chair” (2003)

A twangy country number, “Wicker Chair” is a hidden gem. The What I Saw EP was made at a time when the Kings were still struggling to prove themselves in the age of the Strokes and the White Stripes. But rather than folding to the winds of fashion, the Kings produced an impressive mix of raucous blues/punk (“Red Morning Light”) and mournful country (“Tallahina Sky”). But it’s “Wicker Chair” that really stands out, thanks to a simple melody and a straightforward hook that conceals a countrified mean streak.

2. “Dusty” (2003)
While “California Waiting” might be the best track off Youth & Young Manhood, it isn’t exactly underrated. Luckily for list-making purposes, “Dusty” is. The closest the boys came to experimenting on their debut, “Dusty” is at once laid back and ambitious, the tale of the search for a place “where thrills are cheap and love is divine.” While no one would make the mistake of calling Kings Of Leon “quiet,” this contemplative number manages to slow things down for Youth & Young Manhood’s big finish, the 12-minute “Holy Roller Novocaine.”

3. “Camaro” (2007)
“Camaro” is proof that the Kings can handle epic much better than they did on Only By The Night. “Camaro” has a big sound tethered down by a small theme: hot girls in fast cars. It’s one of the basic stories in American rock, dating back to the Chuck Berry era, and no one does it better than these four boys from Tennessee. But even though Because Of The Times was brilliant, it felt slightly exhausting, so burying this sexy, funny and sharp number at the album’s end meant that it remains underrated to this day.

4. “Soft” (2004)
The best song about impotence not written by the Dead Kennedys, “Soft” has some pretty cheesy innuendos. But it’s also a surprisingly good pop tune. It’s also proof that the Kings, who often seem pretty taken with their own legacy, can be pretty damn funny. It’s tough to imagine today’s Bono-besotted band letting loose with a number this simple and silly any time soon.

5. “Where Nobody Knows” (2004)
Tucked away at the end of Aha Shake Heartbreak, “Where Nobody Knows” isn’t even included on some versions of the album. A sweet, somehow sad little number, it sounds like more than the culmination of the excellent album; it sounds like a promise of things to come. Following the superb and equally underrated “Rememo,” “Where Nobody Knows” is proof that good things come to those who wait until the album ends.

—Emily Tartanella

14 replies on “The Over/Under: Kings Of Leon”

California Waiting is best off the Holy Roller Novocaine EP – much better than the version on Youth and Young Manhood.

By looking at your list and comments, it’s obvious you’re a fan of lyrics. While some make not make sense, or are even silly, they’re still good songs. Manhattan is a great example of how the vocals and the bass line compliment each other no matter what he is actually saying, which may account for the heavy downloads. But ‘over rated’?

“Does anyone actually think the Followill clan would win in a fight?”

You do realize that the “Four Kicks” are gunshots, right? I’m pretty sure bullets can win any fight…

May I also add Genius, Joe’s Head, and Trani. If it were up to me Trani would remain the closing number to any concert they ever play again. It is such a great set finish.

Anything from the first two albums is solid. Proper updating of southern fried rock for the oughties.

The last two… er, not so much. It’s like über bad latter day U2 with a lot of yelping on top.

-G.

whats wrong with charmer?the lyrics may be slightly weird but calebs voice and just the song itself is so awesome!and what the hell is wrong with wasted time and four kicks.i could those songs all day and not get sick of them.theyr good to dance to.ill admit im a bit sick of use somebody but its still and amazing song.whats up with ‘Does anyone actually think the Followill clan would win in a fight?’
of course they would! and u must not have noticed that it mentions guns stupid

The version of Molly’s Chamber on the Wasted Time single is also fantastic, and underrated. Does that awesome southern sultry thing perfectly, until the fun ending.

I think most people would agree that nearly all of Only By The Night is unashamedly awful compared to their earlier stuff, or Because Of The Times (which was stunning), but Four Kicks? That song is way too much fun to criticize, especially when they play it live.

Also underrated: Ragoo. Maybe nothing mindblowing, but a good song nonetheless, sweet guitars and I love the line: “We ain’t even been to the ocean, we been running barefoot through streets…”

Lastly, I heard Caleb absolutely hates playing Sex On Fire…serves them right for writing it.

I have no idea what “Black Thumbnail” is about and I don’t care, the song rocks when I’m driving on a Summer day with the window dowwwwn.

This definitely expands my horizons regarding the Kings. I sort of lost interest in them after seeing them transform into a Guns ‘N Roses-resembling hollywood rocker outfit. Good to see they still write good songs.

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