I came across this new Kings of Leon song today.
My good friend Ben Miller reminded me that the Kings of Leon were ‘back’ recording again recently, and I realised I hadn’t really investigated their music in the last few years. So I went out and bought the 3 most recent albums and am working my way through them.
There are many things I like about the Kings of Leon, but I think the one chief thing I love about their music is that they have their own distinct brand of rock, that is unmistakably ‘Kings of Leon’. The vocals, the songwriting, the guitar sounds, the guitar playing, the bass lines, the drums, the production… it all merges so well into a single identity that, even if you’re not a fan of the the Kings of Leon, you RECOGNISE as them.
THAT takes work my friends. That takes real discernment and musical intent to achieve such a ‘yes, that’s Kings of Leon’ from any listener hearing the first 30 seconds of one of their songs.
To be so consistent, yet fresh and evolving is really inspirational to me as a musician, and as a teacher.
So whether you love em or hate em, here’s the Kings of Leon with their new song ‘Revelry’.
P.S. Note the amount of reverb and ambience on this track? So many bands are opting for this sort of production sound at the moment, perhaps try it yourself!