Calling Kings of Leon "polarizing" is a wicked understatement. The Followill boys emerged in the early aughts as the "southern rock Strokes" and, believe it or not, that was considered a tremendous compliment after that now-faded New York band turned the page on the abysmal late '90s. On wonderful early records like 2003's Youth And Young Manhood, Aha Shake Heartbreak, and Because Of The Times, KOL lived up to and exceeded expectations, becoming shining examples of non-dickhead American rock. But then they achieved out-sized arena rock success with 2008's bloated but effective Only By The Night. 

They'd made it to the top of the mountain, but everything kind of felt different then, and the warning signs seen by purists  were right, because 2010's Come Around Sundown found the dudes from Nashville, Tennessee, firmly with their heads up their own asses, and worse, now dickheads... dickheads on the verge of an inevitable alcohol-induced breakdown that knocked them down a bit and forced them to slink away for a couple of years to lick their wounds. But now that they have cleaned themselves up, more or less made nice with each other, and released a new album, Mechanical Bull, the Kings Of Leon are totally trying to get back in our good graces.

After the sloppy excesses marring Only By The Night and Come Around Sundown, Mechanical Bull is a fuzzy portrait of a band chastened and aware that they'd done some wrong. This is clearly in evidence on album opener and lead single "Supersoaker" (a song title regrettably lifted from Wavves), a chiming, lusty, and earnest KOL stomper that screams "vintage!" at longtime listeners. Is it too early for Kings Of Leon nostalgia? Probably, but "Supersoaker" manages to bring back the good times... for all of four minutes before "Rock City" reminds us why these guys ran into trouble, thanks to its rambunctious but uninteresting bro-ness. 

Nostalgia for early KOL is evident on the dark and anxious "It Don't Matter To Me," which wouldn't have been out of place on their 2007's Because Of The Times, and the ho-hum patented Kings balladry of "Tonight." But is nostalgia necessarily what the Kings need to be exploring, barely ten years into the game? I understand that they're trying to regain something; hell, their story is the prototypical VH-1 Behind The Music story, and this is their redemption. Still, there's not a lot of new territory here on album #6, and an attempt would've been nice after their last dud of an album.

I can pinpoint the exact moment where Kings of Leon lost me as a fan. I was down in Nashville with a couple friends for a Bills/Titans game a few years back. We were out the night prior to the game and "Sex on Fire" began playing in the bar. The massive single, which had shied away the young, southern boogie of the Tennessee band's first two albums (Youth & Young Manhood, Aha Shake Heartbreak) for a more polished sound, had been out for a little while, and I had already began to lose interest in the band. During the song, a bar back jumped on stage wearing some pretty heavy duty jeans and a bottle of booze in hand. I note the material of the jeans because every time the chorus kicked in, he would pour whiskey all over this groin area and light himself on fire. Yep. And that is how I grew to dislike Kings of Leon.

Anyways, with Mechanical Bull, the band's 6th LP on the way, they seem to be reverting to a heavier rock sound, as exhibited in the first leaked track, "Supersoaker." The latest single, "Wait For Me," is a pretty generic rock ballad that reminds me of any time a heavier rock band wanted to slow down for the ladies. The saving grace of the song is the solid southern harmonies the Followill family have always done pretty well. Other than that, I am over it. Mechanical Bull will be released on September 24th.