AUDIOPHILE
Kings of Leon – Mechanical Bull I spent the better part of 2008 to 2011 telling everyone who would listen how Kings of Leon sold out by cutting their hair, shaving their beards and adopting a more mainstream sound, abandoning their Southern Strokes identity. I’ve mostly made peace with that era, regarding it as stylistic experimentation that just wasn’t for me (except for “Use Somebody,” seriously, screw that song), and I still hold out hope that Kings of Leon will return to form. They haven’t quite done that on “Mechanical Bull,” but it’s at least better than their previous album. The lead single, “Supersoaker,” isn’t all that bad, in fact, it’s probably one of the album highlights. On songs like “Rock City” and “Don’t Matter,” the Followills return to some of the hyped-up Southern rock they started out writing. Unfortunately, for every exciting flash of the past, there’s a “Beautiful War” or “Comeback Story,” pop-pandering ballads that contain such Shakespearean gems as “I walked a mile in your shoes/ Now I’m a mile away and I have your shoes.” “Mechanical Bull” isn’t the album KOL purists want, but it’s hard to imagine anything being much better, and it could be a lot worse. RIYL: The Strokes, The National, Neon Trees -Michael Lovito, Truth, Justice and the American Way on Wednesday 11 a.m.-12 p.m.