Shake and Break It

The cover's a little freaky, no doubt. But the music is solid, the riffs are tight and Caleb Followill's wailing voice hits you hard, like a frying pan to the face.

Everyone, even people who don't really listen to music other than the occasional top forty, knows who the Kings Of Leon (KOL) are. Everyone's heard those famed two songs- "Sex On Fire" and "Use Somebody." In fact, I don't think people have heard many more songs than those two. Both songs are pure KOL style: dirty, corrupt southern rock with a splash of indie.

So when I saw a KOL album in the line-up, my first thoughts were, "Oh, I wonder if those songs are on this album?" Of course they weren't and for good reason. This album didn't need those singles to have the effect it set on me. In fact, if it had those songs on there I doubt it would have become my favorite album so far...

Okay, maybe that's not true. I love "Sex On Fire". It's twisty and screwed in all the right ways and even though it's overplayed, I never get tired of hearing it. In fact, it seems like every time I hear it I notice something new. But anyway, onward!

Aha Shake Heartbreak really is shaky. But, the good kind of shaky, not the shaky kind of shaky. The disc starts out with "Slow Night, So Long", which has a killer bass groove going on by the time lead singer Caleb Followill gets around to spitting out those funky lyrics.

Songs like "Taper Jean Girl", "Four Kicks", "Razz", and "Day Old Blues" really made this album for me. The only song I didn't like on this album was "Milk", a song that lives up to it's name- sorta sweet but plain and creamy, no hint of omph. It wasn't a bad song, it just didn't fit in with the rest of the album.



I'd bet you ten bucks that if any of you listened to this album you could identify my favorite song off of this album in a heartbeat. "The Bucket" was the killer for me. Ever have that tight feeling in your chest and that swirling in your stomach when you come across a truly amazing song? "The Bucket" is fun, grippy and truly just happy music.

I think Raivynn would have liked either "Taper Jean Girl" or "Rememo", but alas she slaves away at college.

KOL is one interesting band. Not only do they have a severe case of genre-idtis but they are feeling some serious fan heat right now. KOL has released four albums and ever since their last one "Only By The Night" things have been, well, a little tense. Some fans are turning on the band, saying they've sold out to make 'arena music' and that what made them the Kings Of Leon is gone.

I can't really put in my two cents on this particular discussion, just because I haven't heard enough KOL music. But I can say that as I listened to "Aha Shake Heartbreak" in my sunny room one afternoon, I felt wrong. It seemed like this was the kind of album I should listen to on my Mississippi porch or in some random guy's garage. This album is grungy southern rock and it makes you feel that in your bones, but there is that hint of indie to keep you from falling off the edge. KOL is a 'surprised you' kind of band who are constantly changing they're sound and mixing things, much like legends like Ray Charles and The Beatles, but that southern sound is always there.

The best thing that came out of this album for me? I can now say I am not a one-hit fan, something I hate to be. Ignore the Parental Advisory, I recommend this album for all.

-Whitni

PS- Oh, and, just so you know, KOL has a new album coming out October 19th called "Come Around Sundown." I checked out the single from that album called "Radioactive" and like it. The video was interesting and I'm not sure how I felt about it, but the song was great. Check it out- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPBbMbKSZrQ&ob=av2e

PPS- Last thing, I promise. The Kings Of Leon are made of brothers and one cousin and the brothers were all homeschooled during their childhood, much like myself. Love it.