The second album hasn't been kind to many supposed garage rock prodigies; think The Vines' "Winning Days." "Aha Shake Heartbreak" will probably be used by the Kings of Leon's detractors as evidence that they are yet another talentless band thrown into the spotlight because of their long hair and poor hygiene. Though it is far from a perfect album, the Kings' follow-up is much more than the marketing scheme some suggest.
The Kings burst out of the South during the garage rock boom several years ago with their debut "Youth and Young Manhood." The music press promptly dubbed them the Southern version of The Strokes, ignoring the fact that they didn't sound particularly like The Strokes, or like traditional Southern rockers such as Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Allman Brothers, for that matter.
"Aha Shake Heartbreak" doesn't quite live up to the high hopes of many Kings of Leon fans, but it also isn't a throw-away record. The band's ability to play as a whole has improved dramatically since their last record; their playing could be mistaken for a punk band playing covers of classic rock songs. The tightness of a '70s arena rocker is present, but the Kings play faster and dirtier than .38 Special or The Allman Brothers would ever dare to.
Amazingly, the band was able to nail these songs live in the studio, without any overdubs. Recording the album together probably gave the group their newfound sound of energy. It has also made them absolute knock-out in concert. Yet for all the media hype surrounding them, they play surprisingly straight-forward rock with amazing bar band chops.
The Kings' dynamic playing, however, is almost completely canceled out by lead singer Caleb Followill's awful vocals. His singing style was mildly obnoxious on "Youth and Young Manhood," but becomes almost completely unbearable in parts of "Aha Shake Heartbreak." His southern warble, which sounds suspiciously forced, has become even more out of tune and at times borders on yodeling. The number of intelligible words Followill sings on the record can probably be counted on hands. And when you do catch some of the lyrics, you end up wishing you hadn't.
But since when have lyrics mattered in good old fashioned rock n' roll? Maybe it's just wishful thinking during this never-ending winter, but these songs will sound even better blasting out of your car speakers this summer. "The Bucket," the record's first single, starts out with a guitar part that sounds almost like Franz Ferdinand and then morphs into an absolute barn-burner.
Lyrical gems like "cancel that thing I'd said I'd do" aside, you'll be singing every last line after a couple of listens. It's also the song where Caleb has the best control over his vocals. The barks and cracks are in place here, and work to advance the song.
"Soft," the track that follows "The Bucket," showcases The Kings weaknesses. The lyrics almost make 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" look subtle. ("I'd come into your party, but I'm soft") Another low point is the closer, "Re-Memo," which sounds like it belongs under a big-top, with its calliope opening and polka-esque rhythm. It's a mystery why they picked this song to end the album; they would have been more successful had they gone out full swing.
"Aha Shake Heartbreak" is definitely an album that grows on you. After the first listen, it's not immediately memorable; it doesn't have as many hooks as their debut and the vocals can be grating. There aren't many current bands that play The King of Leon's brand of straight-ahead rock, and maybe that's why the hipsters hate them so much. They aren't advancing rock, or being ironic - they're playing rock for the sake of playing rock.
You'll thank them for that when you're blaring "Aha Shake Heartbreak" in your backyard during a barbeque, in your headphones while mowing the lawn, and in your car on the way to the beach this summer. Hopefully touring in support of this album will help Caleb reign in his vocals, and give him some time to write some more intelligent lyrics, so that the Kings of Leon can produce the classic album they just might have in them.
