For Kings of Leon, Mechanical Bull is a sincere rock and roll accomplishment. The band has made the most of the two-year hiatus, using the time to reflect, grow, and create an album that “melds the most appealing aspects from a decade of evolution.” This description is all too fitting, as the process of evolution promotes successful traits and eliminates the weaker ones. After ten years of evolution, Kings of Leon has figured out what works, and, as a musical testament, created Mechanical Bull.
The triumph of Mechanical Bull is the balance of the different aspects of Kings of Leon’s music. Caleb Followill’s yearning vocals are matched by thundering bass lines and bright guitar melodies, and, the result is good, old-fashioned rock and roll. The music may be filtered through a modern lens, but Mechanical Bull is living proof that rock has never died.
For example, the opening track “Supersoaker” begins with a fast-paced guitar riff, quickly met by a steady drum beat and a contemplative lead guitar melody. This immediately-appealing introduction carries into emotional singing that, incidentally, highlights the efforts of producer, and longtime Kings of Leon collaborator, Angelo Petraglia. The singing is emotional, yes, but is neither over-the-top nor lacking. It’s mixed perfectly to create a somehow calm yet heart-wrenching effect. It’s also worth noting that the bass solo on “Supersoaker” is fantastic.
This is an album is loaded with great rock music. “Don’t Matter,” “Coming Back Again,” and “Family Tree” are all excellent examples of this, especially the latter, in which a funky line from bassist Jared Followill grooves its way through this bluesy track. However, the album does have some couple of slow songs, including “Beautiful War,” a song that builds and builds, but never quite reaches its potential.
Mechanical Bull is an album that perfectly reflects where Kings of Leon is in 2013. Having been on hiatus for nearly two years, optimistic songs like “Comeback Story” and “Last Mile Home” exemplify the band’s earnest intent to create quality music. Fortunately for us, they have. Mechanical Bull is a solid rock and roll album, and definitely worth the listen.