Interesting. I never thought that way about Fans. I love it, but I always felt it was too "jammy" and laidback or something to be a radio banger. I felt strongly about True Love Way though.
Listened to part of this on a run today and maybe it was because I wasn’t fully listening and/or other factors came into play but what I heard from the first 4-5 songs was dreadfully boring/average. Very puzzling choice to start the album with two straight snoozers imo
I disagree about the first song being a snoozer, but I definitely think the second half of the album is stronger overall I'm not crazy about "Don't Stop The Bleeding" but after that every song is fantastic and the closer is incredible
Nowhere to Run has raced to the top as my favorite. I find myself wanting the album to end just so I can start it again and get to that song.
I've listened to this a handful of times now, and I've liked it a little more each time. If I'm nitpicking, Track 7 should absolutely be a shit-kicker, and “Don't Stop The Bleeding” just doesn't cut it right there. Probably doesn't help that it's my least favorite song on the album, and I think it kinda weakens both songs having it come right after “Split Screen” like it does. I also really wish "Ballerina Radio" went a little a lot harder at Track 2. Even the weaker songs here aren't bad though, and in all of them it's like Jared is trying to whip the rest of the guys back onto their A-Game with his bass. I love the opener, “Mustang” is a great single, and tracks 8-12 are an amazing run that close out the album perfectly. They sprinkled 1 or 2 more mellow, low-energy songs into the mix here than I would have preferred, but they absolutely sound reinvigorated here, and it doesn’t sound at all to me like they're just going through the motions because the mortgage payments on all of those huge mansions in Nashville are due.
yeah, it definitely might grow on me, just out of all of the slower, more mellow songs I like it the least, plus there's a bunch of them in a row by that point
Yeah, it was a really interesting decision to grind the album’s pace to a near halt on songs 5-7. I agree the album’s pace is a little slower than I would’ve imagined due to marketing. Jared’s bass lines are the best part of the band in my opinion - he’s a massively underrated talent.
The album definitely grows on me the more I listen. It's significantly better than the last album. I guess I expected it to be more like Mustang and not as ballad-filled, but if I'm in the right mood (stoned/relaxed) then the ballads really hit.
it's definitely about the placement for me with "Don't Stop The Bleeding" - it's a cool song, and I like it alone, but after "Actual Daydream" & "Split Screen" I am ready for them to kick it up a notch, which they do with the run of "Nothing To Do" - "M Television" - "Hesitation Gen". I think it's probably also this idea too. I definitely expected the ratio of bangers to be a little higher after hearing "Mustang" & "Nothing To Do", and then especially after reading all of the press stuff around the album. Also, I feel compelled to go to bat for "Ballerina Radio". Love that song, and it's constantly stuck in my head - I'm walking around work singing "I'm a masochist, I know" to myself all day like a weirdo
Definitely has some extremely catchy pieces in it. I wish it had less "slow" songs which tend to drag this album down, but definitely find myself wanting to listen to this again and again whereas WYSY was more of a "I guess I should listen to this again?"
Yeah, this one has me "wanting" to come back to the record because there are some good hooks to be heard. WYSY was an album I basically had to force upon myself because I had enjoyed every record the band put out up until that point.
Some good reviews. Kings of Leon: 'Can We Please Have Fun' Album Review Kings Of Leon – Can We Please Have Fun | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews
"Do your brothers & cousin ever get mad that you are not only the sexiest Followill but also that your bass playing is often the best part of any KoL song?"
I was talking with my buddy the other day how Jared and Caleb are the two irreplaceable members. Caleb is a given. But Jared also has a unique sound and a knack for coming with some of the catchiest bass riffs I've ever heard. I've got nothing against Matthew. I think he's a great and very diverse guitarist. I like him a lot, but I never think of a particular guitar style and sound when it comes to this band. It's been all over the place in their discography and that's fine. Obviously Nate, being the drummer, is the most replaceable. I have this take for like 99% of bands.