I’ll bite. This is going to be the record that every music snob listens to at home when no one is looking.
I wanted so bad to hate it, but I can’t help but like it. Some of it is really infectious. I am sure after a few listens it will really groove. Let’s just hope that radio forgets about Kings of Leon and continues force feeding the masses a variety of slutpop, rather than destroying some of these songs with repetition.
It seems as if they knew that most of the serious music community was expecting then to fall flat on their faces with this one. It is a big struggle, do you revert to appease your early and loyal fanbase, or do you crank out three more singles and get stuck again in everyone’s head to the point that even your die-hards are sick of hearing it. One pays respect, the other pays the bills.
The band has built up a little bit of a reputation of having “instant rock-star syndrome”, but in some weird way I kinda want to see them fight back a little. Give some interviews, tell the reporter to fuck off, throw shit out of hotel windows, be wasted half the time. It worked for Zeppelin, It worked for Axl, Johnny Rotten… you get the point. Since when does rock and roll have to be so polished? Fuck frontmen like Bono. I want it to be interesting.
They keep painfully mailing in the live shows and they will be nothing more than a note in the breeze. That’s a sureshot to total exodus of your fanbase. I’m kinda excited to see how this pans out.
The record is good. I feel as if they really tried to listen to what everyone was screaming at them, all the while keeping those young ladies feeling oh-so dreamy. Stand out tracks are “Pyro”, “No Money” and “Beach Side”
| 1. | “The End” | 4:24 |
| 2. | “Radioactive” | 3:26 |
| 3. | “Pyro” | 4:10 |
| 4. | “Mary” | 3:25 |
| 5. | “The Face” | 3:28 |
| 6. | “The Immortals” | 3:28 |
| 7. | “Back Down South” | 4:01 |
| 8. | “Beach Side” | 2:50 |
| 9. | “No Money” | 3:05 |
| 10. | “Pony Up” | 3:04 |
| 11. | “Birthday” | 3:15 |
| 12. | “Mi Amigo” | 4:06 |
| 13. | “Pickup Truck” |
4:44 |
