Kings of Leon // EP#2
Rockers rediscover their roots on first EP in two decades
★★★★☆ (4/5)
Album Artwork
“EP#2” marks the first EP in over two decades by King of Leon, the previous being 2003’s “Holy Roller Novocaine”. With the first released when the band were debuting, this second instalment again sees a group hungry to prove themselves. Notably, the release sees them fully in control as it’s the band's first self-produced record on their new label LoveTap Records.
From their scraggly bearded beginnings to stadium headlining megastars, the quartet have evolved their sound to huge success. But since 2016's glossy album “Walls” they have struggled to create a cohesive project that produced the accolades of that record. Continuing their work with superstar producers Markus Dravs and then Kid Harpoon brought mixed results on the monochromatically dour “When You See Yourself” and the indie styling of “Can We Please Have Fun”.
This was followed by a pair of singles released alongside country megastar Zach Bryan, on which the band seemed to rediscover their love for guitars, percussive playing and their Americana roots.
Thankfully, “EP#2” continues this rediscovery of the band's warmer tones, and delivers a number of indie rockers and anthemic ballads. Most importantly the songs sound vibrant, with previous releases suffering from production that drained the warmth from the band’s performances and lost some of their identity.
A bright overdriven riff launches opener “All the Little Sheep”, which immediately sets to right the wrongs of prior releases. Across the last few albums the Kings have been able to craft decent ballads at the expense of the more up-tempo tracks. Here they set out a statement of intent, upbeat energy has returned.
Undeniable groove from Jared Followill’s distinctive bass on “To Space” keeps the project's energy high. The bouncing bass line and gospel claps point back towards the band's 2003 debut “Youth and Young Manhood”.
Contrasting the jovial tone of the earlier tracks, “Pit to the Rind” is a spacey anthemic ballad. Singer Caleb Followill’s vocals sound vulnerable and raw against sparsely arranged instrumentation.
Closing track “The Wolf” is a vicious bite that evokes 2007’s “Because of the Times”. A suspenseful bass riff manages to propel the song into an anthemic chorus that evokes the best arena rockers that the band have produced. In particular, the vocal delivery on “Animals is all we’ll ever be” is euphoric. However, the track does draw attention to one of the project's few limitations. Across the four tracks there is little in the way of searing guitar solos that would help elevate the songs, instead, lead guitar and synths are used more for texture to admittedly great effect.
If this is an appetiser to a new era of Kings of Leon, then the future looks bright for the indie rock mainstays.
