"Kings of Leon has captured the true essence and purpose of music..."

Written by Sarah Hernandez

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 You’d think that when a few musicians from Nashville, Tennessee, come to New York City to record their fifth album, they’d probably adapt a New York sound and style to their music. You’d also think that a band that sold 6.5 million units of their last album, would follow commercial music trends in attempts to retain their newly acquired fans. Not Kings of Leon! They stayed true to their southern roots and to their plan to create an album with a beach-like feel. It’s definitely the perfect album to play while hanging out at the beach or when you’re taking a drive in the afternoon; when the sun is going down.

The only songs that seemed to have been recorded in New York were Mary and No Money, because they were upbeat and punk rock-ish. It’s very possible that being in New York made brothers Caleb (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Matthew (lead guitar), Jared (bass guitar) and their cousin Nathan (drums), miss Nashville, and that may have influenced how some of the songs were written. But I like how north meets south on this album, and how it has the ability to make a cold autumn day seem like a beautiful day at the beach, for us New Yorkers. 

I’m projecting that the two most popular and successful songs on the album, besides their single Radioactive, will be The End and The Immortals. It was a wise choice for Kings of Leon to begin the album with The End, because it’s the type of song that is relatable. The repeating chorus that goes “This could be the end” can be applied to someone’s personal life in so many ways, regardless of what the real meaning of the song is. The Immortals which is toward the middle of the album, is both musically and lyrically genius, and it’s probably one of the most influential songs Kings of Leon has written so far. Need motivation? Listen to The Immortals. The first line alone, “The open road, the path of greatness. It's at your fingers.” is an encouragement.

With just those two songs, Kings of Leon has captured the true essence and purpose of music, which is to serve as something relatable and inspiring to listeners. “Come Around Sundown” is a great album and a great addition to any music library.