Come Around Sundown-Kings Of Leon

Kings Of Leon-Come Around Sundown

The Kings Of Leon drop their earlier sound in favor of a new arena ready sound that more often than not is a letdown to fans of their earlier music. This cd is better than their last effort however. The one area I feel like they dropped the ball would be lyrically, as Caleb said himself all the lyrics were ad libbed in the studio, and it shows. Sub par on the front end, things do pick up slightly towards the end.

The End-This song enters U2 territory with its tapping drums and atmospheric guitar intro that flows into nothing more than a repetitive plucking baseline and accentual guitars. This definitely sounds like it belongs on their last effort, Only By The Night. As an album opener it falls short of their previous openers but at the same time is a decent indicator of what to expect on this album. --63/100

Radioactive- The lead single off this album was met with much backlash, although it was more so over the video than the actual song itself. That being said, when listening to this song it sounds like the boys from Tennessee are just going through the motions. It's a decent enough song without doubt, but would unquestionably pale in comparison to a number of songs on their first three discs. --67/100

Pyro- It begins with a twinkling guitar riff and a down tempo drumbeat that sets the tone early. As previously noted, this is the sound of a band that has reached the top and probably feels like they don't have anything left to prove. This is apparent in the quality of the songs, which are generally lower. There's not much interesting to report in this song, although the last minute of the song at least provides something worthwhile to listen to which cannot be said for most of the track. --64/100

Mary-It's not until the fourth song on the cd that the listener is rewarded for trudging through the first three tracks. With its groovy bass and nice rhythm guitar sections, the instruments are nicely complimented by the backing vocals and Caleb's voice. A nice guitar solo is sprinkled in the middle that really gives this song the legs it needs to be a winner. --73/100

The Face-This could be one of my least favorite tracks on the album. It's repetitive nature and lack of an interesting instrumental aspect really holds this song down. I do like the guitar part from Matthew, the lead guitarist, but overall this song is missing something. --67/100

The Immortals- Another down tempo track full of what you've come to expect from KOL over the past 2 years. There's not much to write about this song because it's neither good nor bad, it just exists. The lyrics are repetitive as is the overall sound. Another one of several songs on the cd that is missing that raw edge that used to be present in their band. --67/100

Back Down South- One of the better songs on the album, Back Down South shows the Kings moving into new territory with this arena ready country anthem. The difference this time is the influx of new instruments such as the violin. Combine that with a pounding bass drum beat that moves the song along at a brisk pace, and Caleb's voice sounds especially good on this track. Highly recommended for fans of the band, as this song could easily fall into place on any of their first three albums. --80/100

Beach Side-A surfy, sunny track that propels itself with its warm bass beat and guitar tracks that intertwine well to give the song a signature sound. Instrumentally speaking I feel like the song is well crafted and is well composed. --74/100

No Money- The nifty bass kicks in, and once the backing vocals chime in, you hear the new KOL at their best. Good drums as well as the churning guitars of Matthew and Caleb really help this song find its way. The solo starts out a little slow but eventually builds into something noteworthy, and it sounds especially good when the backing vocals come back in.--83/100

Pony Up-The poppy drums accentuate the almost identical guitar parts from Matthew and Caleb, and bassist Jared chimes in with a funky bass riff straight from their earlier music. If the band isn't going to turn back the timetable to 2003, then this is the direction that they should head. Not the best song on the cd, but a solid effort that fans of the band should enjoy. --74/100

Birthday-This song contains in my opinion some of the best bass on the cd, while the drums aren't particularly memorable. This is another example of how most of their new music is aimed at a different audience than before, but this isn't particularly a bad thing on this song. I do enjoy the twitching guitar that seems to tick along with the beat. --70/100

Mi Amigo- Instrumentally this is my favorite song on the cd, as I think they find their stride as musicians on this track. The tempo-keeping bass chugs along with short strumming guitar parts that pick up when Caleb sings, "Go on, you know," as the instruments all chime back in to create a nice full sound. My favorite part of the album comes in the last verse in the transition between verse and chorus. Overall a solid if not unspectacular song, and one that should be listened to more than once. --80/100

Pickup Truck-Not a huge fan of this song, although the creeping baseline at the beginning is a nice addition. This sounds like KOL-lite, something they can't seem to get away from now a days. --61/100

OVERALL SCORE--68/100

Phrazes For The Young-Julian Casablancas

Phrazes For The Young by Julian Casablancas, lead singer of The Strokes, is a futuristic pop disc with elements of soul, and country. It features his unique songwriting style and lyrics about the future and the uncertainty that comes with it. Released in 2009, I decided to revisit this album after a lot of time off.

River Of Brake Lights- Starting out with a polyrhythmic drum beat over keyed synths; the track escalates when Casablancas croons, "We might be in for a late night, stuck in a lava flow of brake lights."As the drum beat pounds in the background, the synthesizers twist and swirl around one another until it reaches a pulsing climax shortly after a video-game esque breakdown. "Like batteries we die, like rivers we dry. Refuel and recharge, that's humans and cars." Casablancas screams over layers of well crafted electro synth goodness. Overall this is a very good track and one that will be more rewarding with repeat listens. --80/100

11th Dimension- The first single off of Phrazes, 11th Dimension was anything but what I was expecting. To go from the style that The Strokes have to this is a big leap, but one that Mr. Casablancas makes successfully. From the opening synth bars you will quickly realize that this is unlike anything he has done before. The background melody is instantly appealing. As the song builds towards the chorus, strumming guitars and another complicated drumbeat take center stage. As Casablancas wails "Drop your guard, you don't have to be smart all of the time." the song makes a slight shift towards the futuristic. After a miniature breakdown, which sees nothing but a heartbeat like drum beat with clingy guitars, it busts back into the chorus with its sweeping synth sounds. Immediately catchy yet infinitely listenable, this song is one of the highlights of the album. --90/100

Out Of The Blue- "Somewhere along the way, my hopefulness turned to sadness. Somewhere along the way my sadness turned to bitterness. Somewhere along the way my bitterness turned to anger, somewhere along the way my anger turned to vengeance." It has been long speculated that there were lyrics in this song directed towards his band mates in The Strokes. "And the ones that I made pay, were never the ones who deserved it. Those who helped me along the way, I smacked them as I thanked them." Out Of The Blue is the most Strokes-like song on the disc, with its heavy rhythm guitars and up-tempo drums drawing from the best of the Is This It days. This song is interesting because when performed live, his backing band uses four guitars. Everything comes into focus when Casablancas lustfully sings "How could you be so perfect for me?" over a nicely done chorus. Fans of the Strokes should look here as a starting point, but shouldn't expect any similarity on the album beyond this song. --83/100

Left and Right In The Dark- With its Rod Stewart style intro, the song quickly turns from simple pop to a song about the cataclysmic doom Casablancas sees us heading for. "And it's not gonna take all day long, watching the urban decay all around us, oh boy. And I’m on my way, oh, somewhere. Feels like I’m going left and right in the dark." This pop gem is finely crafted and created, somewhat of a trademark of Casablancas'. As the song fades into nothing, it suddenly bursts back to remind the listener to pay attention. --83/100

Tourist- Starting with a hip-hop like backing beat, Casablancas shows his composing skills on this song. The lyrical content of the song is geared towards Casablancas feeling out of place wherever he goes, saying that "Feel like a tourist out in the country, once this whole world was all country side. Feel like a tourist in the big city, soon that will simply evaporate." This song is propelled by its drumbeat as well as the several simple yet sweet guitar licks in the background. Julian supplies another big chorus and he once again finds a way to keep things familiar yet unlike anything you've ever heard. He sprinkles in some keyboard and French horn for good measure. He ties the songs theme into a pretty bow with the last line "Everywhere I go I’m a tourist, but if you stay with me, I'll always be at home", and you can hear the soulfulness in his voice. --80/100

4 Chords Of The Apocalypse- Casablancas does funk/country on this track. While interesting enough, it's the least gratifying and tends to drag a little. I'm also not a huge fan of the chorus. "Our time is over, don't you know that if a time warp was open, I'd stay right in my place." One strong point in the surging guitar solo about halfway through the song. I can appreciate the effort Casablancas but into the song, but it ultimately falls just short of the quality of the rest of the tracks on the album. --62/100

Ludlow St.- The into starts with a synth and drum beat that flows into a folk like song equipped with a mandolin and a driving drum beat. I feel like Casablancas flexes his muscle here and he really outdoes himself. Once again, not the catchiest song on the disk but it is worth the extra listens. Perhaps talking about his past struggles with alcohol, Julian croons "Everything seems to go wrong when I stop drinking. Everything seemed to go my way last night. Everything seemed so wrong to me this morning, I know things will be brighter later tonight." just before the song takes off into the chorus. Nice breakdowns ensue with more horns that really give this song an old time feel while still escaping the feeling that you've heard it before. --76/100

Glass- This is without question the best song on the album. Starting out with an awesome hip-hop drumbeat, the song evolves into a mash up of beautiful synths and massive vocals. This is the best example of his songwriting abilities. Once again back with another large chorus, the layers of synthesizers that can be heard are almost overwhelming at first. On this track Casablancas makes it sounds easy as he shows of his newfound vocal range when he hits the falsetto on the line "Bulletproof glass, you really need it now", which perfectly meshes with the awesome guitar solo shortly after. Stripping it down towards the end where only the drumbeat and basic synth remain, he carefully adds the instruments back in for one final time at the end to tie the album together nicely. This song is highly recommended to anyone who not only listens to but also analyzes music. --86/100

FINAL SCORE---80/100

Angles-The Strokes

The long awaited and much anticipated fourth album from the American rock band The Strokes hits shelves March 22nd. The album sees the band venture into previously uncharted waters as they experiment with new instruments all the while attempting to retain their previous style.

Machu Picchu— After the initial crash, the song immediately brings to mind Duran Duran. The surging bass and cool intertwining guitars that complement the almost reggae feel really help to introduce the listener to the album. After a bridge where the melody is oddly reminiscent of ‘Wanna Be Startin Somethin’ by Michael Jackson, the song really starts to shine. “I’m just trying to find, a mountain I can climb,” Casablancas says as the guitars interlock and the background vocal track comes in, just before the intensity ratchets up where Casablancas is letting it rip with a curdling yell. --94/1000

Under Cover Of Darkness— For fans of their previous works, this would be a good starting point. It has a certain charm to it that is evident in some of their earlier music. Albert Hammond Jr.’s guitar mixes so well with what Valensi does, it they almost clash. The keyword there is almost, as the two continually weave in and out of one another with great precision. Under Cover Of Darkness has the bounciness of ‘Last Nite’ but guitar similar to You Only Live Once. There is a nice tempo change that leads into the solo and exits by changing tempo to a higher level than previously seen. This helps the song roll nicely to the next chorus/verse, which is accented by a high leap in vocal range from Casablancas. --88/100

Two Kinds Of Happiness— This song reminds me so much of The Cars, from the steady, driving guitar and bass to the low-key vocals. Once the opening verse busts out, The Strokes enter ‘First Impressions of Earth’ territory, but in the best possibly way; That is, keeping the complexity but adding a new found sense of confidence trying different styles. As with several songs on ‘Angles’, there is a heavy 80’s vibe. Towards the end of this track there is some peeking guitar that chirps it’s way through the rest of the song. The vocals are somewhat inaudible in parts of the song, greatly decreasing the score. The chorus also is not a pretty one, and honestly is so rude it makes me question the thought process of the band by leaving it in there. Not a wise decision. --70/100

You’re So Right— This particular effort seems rather lackluster and out of place on its own but when listened to in context of the album the quality seems to improve. That being said it’s still one of the weaker tracks on the album and shouldn’t be a starting point for those who have never heard the band. The lack of a noticeable melody and the nearly inaudible vocals detract from what could have been a much better song had a few changes been made. That being said, the aggressiveness of the last minute of the song is welcomed, as is the guitar solo. They almost dip into Radiohead territory here, albeit without much success. --65/100

Taken For A Fool—At last more familiarity strikes with The Strokes going back to what made them interesting in the first place. Taken For A Fool breaks in with heavy strumming on the guitar and a matching guitar riff and bass line that give the song an almost funk feel. The chorus has Casablancas wondering “You get taken all the time for a fool, I don’t know why. You’re so gullible but I don’t mind, that’s not the problem. You get taken for a fool all the time, I don’t know why." After an intense section where everyone in the band is simultaneously revving their engines, it explodes into a cool part that sounds like a band in overdrive. --93/100

Games—If this song were to be compared to any of their previous ones it would have to be ‘Electricityscape’, although that doesn’t do this song justice. ‘Games’ sees the band branching out by using synthesizers as well as an organ. “Livin in an empty world” coldly states Casablancas, over a mix of washed out synth and an 80’s drumbeat. After a machine gun like drum fill ‘Games’ has a brief letdown period that sees some barely noticeable guitar take backstage to the synths, but luckily things quickly pick back up. This could potentially be made into a club song due to its driving drumbeat. --77/100

Call Me Back— ‘Call Me Back’ is the most relaxed song on the album, presumably attempting to take on a similar role that ‘Under Control’ had for Room On Fire. This song just never materializes into anything much more than a progressive rock ballad. The lack of drums on this track is alarming considering that with them it would have been much improved. There are a few creepy vocal sections from Casablancas but other than that there isn’t much to talk about. --63/100

Gratisfaction— After hearing the first 5 seconds of this song it becomes apparent The Strokes have been listening to a little Thin Lizzy lately. The combo of drums and guitar really remind me of throwback 70’s guitar albums. One thing of note is the vocals are kind of hard to understand as Casablancas quickly spits out sentences, which wouldn’t be an issue if the vocals weren’t mixed so low. The chorus of “You’re never gonna get my love!” is a welcome addition to the song, and the drumming of Fabrizio is around its best here. --82/100

Metabolism— Another song that would have fit perfectly on First Impressions of Earth, ‘Metabolism’ has some great interlocking guitars that duck around each other yet make the beat. Julian opposes the chugging bass line like he’s tormented. I especially like the verses on this song; the drums are crazy difficult, which is something of a far cry from their earlier albums. Amidst high vocals leaps from a wailing Julian, the song ends with things intensifying to a high level before an abrupt stop. --68/100


Life Is Simple In The Moonlight—The final song on the album helps wind things down after the previous songs’ ferocity. This catchy track personifies what is good about this cd, and this band: Melody and guitar work. As being the only song on the cd exclusively written by Casablancas, his style is on display here. As yet another song that could be placed on Room on Fire, the album closer has a ton of pop sensibility oozing from its pores. “Making fools out of the best of us, making robots of the rest of us,” says Julian with his usual slyness before the song fades out.  --85/100

All in all, an inconsistent album where the lesser songs aren't all that impressive, but the best songs on the album could potentially be on repeat. Considering it took them 5 years to serve this album to the public, I expected a much more even and well baked effort.

Overall score: 78/100

Suck It And See-Arctic Monkeys

Suck It And See- Arctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys were riding high after a stellar debut effort and equally compelling sophomore album and looked to continue that momentum with Humbug. Working with Queens of the Stone Age front man Josh Homme, the Monkeys went with a darker sound both instrumentally and lyrically. Although some of their fans were not as fond of Humbug as previous albums, it was still thought to have been good, just different. The fourth album, entitled Suck It and See, has the Arctic Monkeys re-uniting with Josh Homme, whose style is slightly less noticeable here than on Humbug, but still present.

She’s Thunderstorms- Entering with an almost harrowing riff, things brighten up once lead singer Alex Turner emerges with his cool, slick delivery “She's thunderstorms/lying on her front/up against the wall/she's thunderstorms.” The guitar riffs are pretty light and mesh well with one another, as well as with the jerky drums of Matt Helders. The song is made by the mood it projects, and is a little similar to something you would have heard on their last album, which in my opinion isn’t a bad thing at all. —80/100

Black Treacle-The constant, tucked in the background bass is the unsung hero here as it keeps perfect time with the drums to form a great framework that is both upbeat and chill at the same time. The slashing guitars are great, and as mentioned earlier, the presence of Josh Homme is felt here in some of the riffs. “I’m out of place and I’m not getting any wiser/I feel like a sun dance kid behind a synthesizer/and I tried last night to pack away a life/like a key under the knife/but it never seems to be there when you want it” spouts Alex. A little more aggressive than the last song, but it certainly doesn’t sound angry. —93/100

Brick By Brick— This is the first song that I heard off of Suck It And See, and as it turns out this song was a great preview of what the album would be like. Considering it was the first single off of the album, I naturally would have expected it to be one of the better songs on the album, although in my opinion this isn’t the case. This isn’t to say it’s not good; it’s just mildly repetitive for my taste. That being said it has a classic guitar riff reminiscent of something from a previous decade that was given their usual spin. The 70’s style classic rock sound is something that the Monkeys need to dip into more often.–83/100

Hellcat Spangled Shalalala- A tight drum beat and sneaky bass sound great in context with the slyness of Turner on this track. When shouts of “Shalalala” mix with the atmospheric strumming and controlled aggression of drummer Matt Helders is when the song kicks into high gear. I really enjoyed the relaxing nature of the instruments as they are all well rounded and not punchy here. The bridge is great and really compliments the chorus well as the transition is nearly seamless. Once again this is yet another worth entry into their library. —82/100

Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair- I think this is one of the better songs on the album; I love the beginning riff and the way the song evolves into something certainly harder than any other Arctic Monkeys song before it. This is in part due to the fact that it is played in drop D, which is most commonly associated with metal. With the killer lead and titter tat drums, “Don’t Sit Down” is both aggressive yet relaxed. The calming vocals from Turner do wonders to set the perfect mood. The bass kind of blends with the guitars here but it’s all for naught as the song still kicks serious ass. —92/100

Library Pictures—After the ferocity of the previous track, I wondered what this would sound like. Starting with a simple beat the drumming quickly becomes overly complicated but in a good way. The first minute of the track is classic Monkeys; Aggressive guitar tones and intense drumming that not even the best air drummer could replicate. After a great tempo change, the song calms down and begins to sound like something featuring on Humbug before ratcheting up yet again and going out with an explosive bang that will definitely keep me listening. —89/100

All My Own Stunts—I don’t dislike this song but it is sandwiched between two great songs so it will tend to get overlooked. This is not without some justification however; I would say it’s my least favorite song on the album by a good measure because it fails to progress beyond just being mildly interesting to listen to. For being the least interesting song on the album it is still pretty good and isn’t a disrespect to their sound or any previous releases. —76/100

Reckless Serenade—The warm bass line and relaxed drumming are what make this song stand out on the album, as the sound is fresh and different than the rest of the songs. Twinkling background guitars that are slightly offbeat do a great job keeping the drums and bass from overpowering things. “I’ve been trying to figure out exactly what it is I need/Called up to listen to the voice of reason/And got the answering machine.” Clocking in at 2:43, it is just long enough to satisfy but brief enough to keep you wanting more. This is certainly one of the best songs of the album, and possibly of their catalog. —93/100

Piledriver Waltz—This song may be slow but do not let that trick you into thinking that it isn’t up to par. One thing of note is how it is in standard Waltz timing, per the title. I love the lyric “If you’re going to try and walk on water make sure you wear your comfortable shoes.” Great drums fills are aplenty and are in great company with some pulsing, surging bass that helps round out the experience. A good but not spectacular song; will most likely be one of the least well received on the album. —85/100

Love Is A Laserquest- A U2 like drumbeat and guitar combo gets things started with Mr. Turner doing his thing, crooning “Do you still feel like love is like Laserquest?/I’ve tried to ask you this in some day dreams I’ve had/But you were too busy being make believe.” I can also see some aspects that could have been inspired by INXS on this track. The drums remind me of “Howlin’ For You” by the Black Keys—87/100

Suck It And See- The title track is a good prequel to the last song and a fine sequel to the song before it. It is a natural fit in this spot and shows that proper song placement can pay off dividends. This is yet another consistent track from the Monkeys. “You have got that face that just says baby I was made to break your heart” is a lyric that I like and is delivery with a level of realness that I can relate to easily. —88/100

That’s Where You’re Wrong- The words “Make a wish that weighs a ton/There are no handles for you to hold/No one was standing where it goes” ooze out of Turner almost grudgingly. The final song on the album is built off of a rapid, tapping drum track and some more quality bass courtesy of their excellent bassist. The guitars on this track are used in accessory to the leading sections of drum and bass. A great album closer, the final song is a good ending to a great album full of diverse styles and sounds. —80/100

Overall: 85/100

Reviews Done Write Now Active!

Reviews Done Write is now active! On this blog, you will find some of the most in depth reviews on the internet that come bias and motive free. I will be looking in depth into each album I review, and I will be giving each song on every album a score of 1/100, which will obviously give each album a composite score of 1/100. I hope you enjoy my reviews, as a lot of time and effort is put into them. Enjoy!