I hope you enjoyed that little April Fool’s joke from last time. While there are certainly elements that are true (Zietgest is supposedly the album title), I have no idea if they’re playing Lollapalooza or not. Although, I will say that if the album comes out on July 7th as scheduled it wouldn’t be improbable for them to make a stop at Lollapalooza this August in support of the album. Anyway, at this point it is just speculation, but for those of you planning your Lollapalooza trip (tickets did just go on sale recently), I’ll have some info with that as well as other news updates and a few movie reviews in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here are the reviews for the latest from Kings of Leon and Jarvis.
Kings of Leon
Because of the Times
95
Wow, how far have these guys come? As much as I loved their first two albums, Because of the Times is a leaps and bounds better than their last efforts. Right off the bat, “Knocked Up” plays with outstanding resonance and authority and highlights not only their lyrical growth but their growth musically– as evidenced by the soaring U2-like guitars on this track or the outstanding drumming by Nathan Followill on “McFearless.” It has to be said that, if nothing else, “Knocked Up” best opening track since Interpol’s “Untitled” from Turn on the Bright Lights some five years ago. It’s from here that the album continues to excel with the Pixies influenced “Charmer,” an incredibly catchy and progressive take on a subject that Kings of Leon are quite well versed in– a manipulative woman. The single “On Call” is another high point despite (or perhaps because of) its incredible simplicity, it manages to capture the entire feel of the album without ever doing too much– the way a single should be, really. Perhaps my favorite track on the album, perhaps for the guitar riff alone if nothing else, is the song “Ragoo,” an incredibly fun song that bleeds nostalgia. While the album falters somewhat towards the end with “Trunk” and “Camaro,” it more than makes up for it with the outstanding closer “Arizona,” which perfectly serves as the opposing bookend to the opener “Knocked Up.” Kings of Leon have sufficiently upped the ante with the release of this album, and honestly, has probably shown the most growth in these past 7 years compared to many of their contemporaries. Because of the Times is a truly outstanding release.
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis
88
Jarvis Cocker’s solo album definitely has a lot going for it. Songs like “Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time,” “Black Magic,” and the politically charged “From Auschwitz to Ipswitch” and “Running the World” are outstanding, and Cocker’s dreary voice accentuate the angst that lie within his songs. “Tonite” is another very well done song, with its psuedo doo-wop background vocals and blunt musings. Sonically, most of the album seems to find itself in 70’s-80’s pop, with an occasional sensation of glam. If there’s an issue with the album it’s definitely that it is the kind of album that you won’t fully appreciate on the first listen. The melodies and well-crafted songwriting are sometimes veiled in the tin-can productions that distance the listener. For the slower songs this works really well, like “Disney Time” and “Quantum Theory,” but instead of “Fat Children” being the engaging rocker it seems like it could’ve been, it instead rattles along timidly. All in all this is a very, very well done album, especially for a debut solo effort.
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