Reading Time: 2 min read

Kings of Leon, Walls ยฉ RCA

4 out of 5 stars

Kings of Leon releases one of its most unique singles with โ€œWALLS,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, โ€œWaste a Moment.โ€ In the quest to promote WALLS, the band releases a second single, title track โ€œWalls.โ€ The results are great, if surprising.

โ€œWALLSโ€ 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:

โ€œI could never point you out / waste of space in a faceless crowd / tell me what I have to say / if you know whatโ€™s right then youโ€™ll 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? โ€œWALLSโ€ 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 โ€œWhen the walls come downโ€

By the bridge, โ€œWALLSโ€ picks up a bit more oomph, intensity.ย  While โ€œWALLSโ€ was sound regardless, it needed contrast or more energy to make it well-rounded.

โ€œYou tore out my heart / you threw it away / a Western girl with Eastern eyes / take a wrong turn and found surprise awaits / now thereโ€™s nothing in the wayโ€ฆโ€

Final Thoughts

All in all, โ€œWALLSโ€ is a beautifully penned song.ย  The lyrics are a bit hard to follow โ€“ itโ€™s somewhat open-ended an open to interpretation.ย  Regardless, the title track impresses more than promo single, โ€œWaste a Moment.โ€

Kings of Leon โ€ข Walls โ€ข RCA โ€ข Release: 10.14.16
Photo Credit: 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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