Kings of Leon releases one of its most unique singles with โWALLS,โ the second single from the forthcoming album of the same title.
Kings of Leon return after a three-year hiatus (Mechanical Bull, 2013).ย The new album, WALLS, arrives in October, led by single, โWaste a Moment.โ In the quest to promote WALLS, the band releases a second single, title track โWalls.โ The results are great, if surprising.
โWALLSโ opens mysteriously. Piano and acoustic guitar enter in, helping the record to settle in.ย Caleb Followill delivers clear vocals throughout.ย One of the most notable lyrical moments occurs during the second verse:
โI could never point you out / waste of space in a faceless crowd / tell me what I have to say / if you know whatโs right then youโll walk away.โ
The question is, who is Followill referencing? Is he being fictional, or could he be in some regard referencing meeting his wife, Lily Aldridge? If that is the case, has he added some fictionalized elements? โWALLSโ is confounding (in the most brilliant way possible), because it raises plenty of questions that go unanswered by the conclusion.
The chorus is incredibly repetitive and simplistic.ย Because of this, question marks remain.
ย โWhen the walls come downโ
By the bridge, โWALLSโ picks up a bit more oomph, intensity.ย While โWALLSโ was sound regardless, it needed contrast or more energy to make it well-rounded.
โYou tore out my heart / you threw it away / a Western girl with Eastern eyes / take a wrong turn and found surprise awaits / now thereโs nothing in the wayโฆโ
Final Thoughts
All in all, โWALLSโ is a beautifully penned song.ย The lyrics are a bit hard to follow โ itโs somewhat open-ended an open to interpretation.ย Regardless, the title track impresses more than promo single, โWaste a Moment.โ
Kings of Leon โข Walls โข RCA โข Release: 10.14.16
Photo Credit: RCA