Leaning even further toward a kind of post-punk meets prog rock aesthetic than on their first two albums, Nashville-based Kings of Leon have crafted a darker, less pop-oriented and somewhat cerebral affair with 2007's Because of the Times.
In fact, if Alan Parsons lent the Allman Brothers his spaceship, Because of the Times would be the resulting space odyssey.
While that leads to some intriguing moments, the general move away from strong, hooky choruses to a focus on expansive, intricate and percussive arrangements may challenge casual and even some longtime fans of the band's catchy, Southern garage rock twang.
That said, cuts like the atmospheric and brooding lead-off track "Knocked Up" showcase lead-singer Caleb Followill's growing maturity as a singer and lyricist, and bring to mind favorable comparisons to such artists as Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.
Similarly, the moody single "On Call" and the roiling, dramatic "McFearless," while not immediately hummable, do sink into your memory, revealing layers of melody and emotion on repeated listens.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knocked UpCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 07:10 | 16 MB | 42 MB |
| 2 | CharmerCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 02:56 | 6 MB | 20 MB |
| 3 | On CallCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 03:21 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 4 | McFearlessCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 03:09 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 5 | Black ThumbnailCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 03:59 | 9 MB | 28 MB |
| 6 | My PartyCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 04:10 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 7 | True Love WayCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 04:02 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 8 | RagooCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 03:01 | 6 MB | 30 MB |
| 9 | FansCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 03:36 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 10 | The RunnerCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 04:16 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 11 | TrunkCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 03:57 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 12 | CamaroCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 03:06 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 13 | ArizonaCaleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill | Kings of Leon | Play | 04:48 | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| 51 mins | 118 MB | |||||
| 51 mins | 354 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clifton Allen | Engineer, Second Engineer |
| 2 | Angelo Petragua | Audio Production |
| 3 | Abbe Chant | A&R |
| 4 | Caleb Followill | Composer, Guitar, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals |
| 5 | Jared Followill | Bass, Composer, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals (Background) |
| 6 | Matthew Followill | Composer, Guitar, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals (Background) |
| 7 | Nathan Followill | Composer, Drums, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals (Background) |
| 8 | Ted Jensen | Mastering |
| 9 | Ethan Johns | Producer |
| 10 | Ethan Jones | Audio Production |
| 11 | Mike Kemp | Cover Photo |
| 12 | Kings of Leon | Primary Artist |
| 13 | Ken Levitan | Management |
| 14 | James Minchin | Photography |
| 15 | Angelo Petraglia | Producer |
| 16 | Steve Ralbovsky | A&R |
| 17 | Lowell Reynolds | Engineer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |