Grade: B-
After 2008’s smash success “Only By The Night” Kings of Leon return with an album heavy on mid-tempo, high-volume pseudo anthems. Nothing here is as immediate as “Sex on Fire,” and there is no anthem that reaches the heights of “Use Somebody.” While this is a major drawback, KOL does benefit at times from following stranger lyrical content and indulging lead singer Caleb Followill’s distinct vocal mannerisms. The band plays to its Southern roots, but bombastic stabs at atmosphere (see: U2) and moody melodrama on tracks like “The End” and “Pyro” leave the album feeling dry and uninspired.