Reading Time: 2 min read

4 out of 5 stars

Kings of Leon, When You See Yourself [๐Ÿ“ท: RCA]Kings of Leon make a strong comeback with โ€œThe Bandit,โ€ the lead single from their eighth studio album, When You See Yourself.

2016. That was the last time that ๐Ÿ† Grammy-winning rock collective ๐ŸŽ™ Kings of Leon released a new album (๐Ÿ’ฟ WALLS ). Thankfully, 2021 marks the return of the Followills (three bros, one cousin), with the release of their eighth studio album, ๐Ÿ’ฟ When You See Yourself (๐Ÿ—“ March 5, 2021). KOL released two singles simultaneously: ๐ŸŽต โ€œThe Banditโ€ and ๐ŸŽต โ€œ100,000 People.โ€ No fears, as the results are positive! ย 

โ€œChiseled their names in stone / Heavy the load you tow / And the red horse is always close / And the fire donโ€™t burn below.โ€ With โ€œThe Bandit,โ€ Kings of Leon gives us just the right amount of song to work with, running north of four minutes. Rhythmic guitar lines kick off the record energetically. Soon enough, we get the full complement of instruments, before ๐ŸŽ™ Caleb Followill begins singing (drums, bass).ย  As always, on the second track from When You See Yourself, Caleb serves up expressive, commanding, and powerful vocals. He remains gritty and nuanced, cutting right through the production. He has a nice melody to work with on the verses. As for the chorus, itโ€™s pretty memorable:

โ€œAnd theyโ€™re walking around
With their heads in the cloud screaming
Must catch the bandit
Reckless abandon
Rundown and stranded
Must catch the bandit.โ€

Final Thoughts ๐Ÿ’ญย 

So, was the return of King of Leon worth the wait? Yes. โ€œThe Banditโ€ is a well-rounded, enjoyable comeback for the band by all means.ย  Caleb Followill is on-point, the band sounds โ€˜rockโ€™ solid, and the writing is appealing.ย  It may not be revolutionary but itโ€™s certainly a win for KOL and rock lovers everywhere.ย 

4 out of 5 stars


๐ŸŽ™ Kings of Leon โ€ข ๐Ÿ’ฟ When You See Yourself โ€ข ๐Ÿท RCA โ€ข ๐Ÿ—“ 3.5.21
[๐Ÿ“ท: RCA]

 

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the musical hype

the musical hype aka Brent Faulkner has earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in music (music Education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and a freelance music journalist. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.

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