Kings of Leon
Can We Please Have Fun


3.0
good

Review

by bananatossing USER (18 Reviews)
May 27th, 2024 | 24 replies


Release Date: 05/10/2024 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Are we really having that much fun?

I like Kings of Leon. They've always been a guilty(ish) pleasure of mine. I say “ish” because I genuinely think the stretch from Aha Shake Heartbreak to Come Around Sundown are pretty excellent albums. Unfortunately for the band, they've always been lumped with a myriad of alternative rock bands that don't do anything to differentiate one from another. But Kings of Leon always had something going for them, mainly a subdued grit in terms of their garage rock influence, and also a retro style that doesn't quite get old when done correctly.

The band's discography (so far) could be divided in three eras; the first three albums have a very distinct classic rock influence, mixed with a bit of punk and southern rock. With Because of the Times, their third album, the band started incorporating a more modern flair of alternative rock. This style carried on heavily with their most popular release, Only By The Night, including radio hits such as “Sex on Fire”, “Use Somebody” and “Revelry”. At this point, the band was done playing clubs and rather filled very crowded large stadiums. Much to the disappointment of some fans of their earlier material, this marked the beginning of a “second trilogy” of albums, including the atmospheric Come Around Sundown and culminating in the confused release of Mechanical Bull. The latter was advertised, partly, as a “return to roots” for the band, but ultimately it didn't differ too drastically from its predecessors.

Due to the mixed reception of Mechanical Bull, the band wanted to try something different so they ditched their longterm producer and collaborator Angelo Petraglia and recruited Grammy Award-winner Markus Dravs. This unoficially started their third trilogy of albums, but also marked an obvious sign of age for the Nashville rockers. Behind the “ooh-ooh's” and the indie rock influence, Walls saw the Followill's sounding somewhat sterile and dull. Even some of the topics of the album were depressing, like Caleb pondering what he would do if his wife and kids left him. With a follow up album put on hold for a good number of years, it wasn't until 2021 (5 years since Walls) When You See Yourself was released.

This album marked a minor step up from Walls, keeping the indie rock production values but aiming, instead, for a synthwave influenced style. Despite dropping Markus Dravs and recruiting yet another Grammy Award-winner Kid Harpoon, Can We Please Have Fun follows the exact same formula as When You See Yourself. “Mustang”, Nothing to Do” and “Hesitation Gen” obviously pay homage to the band's early rock and roll material, but even though the former two were released as singles, they are outliers in what is obviously another synthwave style rethread. “Ballerina Radio”, “Rainbow Ball” and “M Television” could be included anywhere in their previous album. “Nowhere to Run” and “Actual Daydream” are more energetic variations of that same style, and then a couple of rushed acoustic ballads (Don't Stop the Bleeding” and “Ease Me On”) thrown in for good measure.

Along with the classic rockers, the shoegaze influenced “Seen” is probably where the band shines the most as well with a very well crafted crescendo and catchy melodies throughout. With that said, there is little memorability this time. The lyrics also suffer from cryptic drivel, with very little to lean on or identify with. What keeps this album from being a trainwreck is that it is decidely a Kings Of Leon album, which means it is harmless at worst and enjoyable at best, and the second thing is the musicianship is still pretty tight. Jared can play a bass lick or two, Caleb still has a pretty unique voice and Matthew can still solo and do cool wankery here and there. The issue persists, though, that this won't necessarily satisfy fans of either their arena rock days or their garage rock era, but they are also not moving forward their newfound formula very much at all.



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user ratings (54)
3.3
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
bellovddd
May 27th 2024


6779 Comments


holy shit this band is still going???

ArsMoriendi
May 28th 2024


41524 Comments


Sometimes an album title is just baiting you into insulting it

Asdfp277
May 28th 2024


24791 Comments


i remember when this band got beef with glee lmao

Aerialist
May 28th 2024


285 Comments


Can We Please Have None

henryChinaski
May 28th 2024


5094 Comments


some newspaper article I saw the other day claimed this is their first good album in 15 years

deathschool
May 28th 2024


28936 Comments


Kings of PEE ON

Good night

Shamus248
Contributing Reviewer
May 28th 2024


1137 Comments


"Sometimes an album title is just baiting you into insulting it"

The Tortured Poets Department takes the cake in that regard. Eats it too.

Nadal2021
May 28th 2024


7 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Totally disagree with this review. This is their best album since because of the times. Seen is one of their best ever songs. Great rockers on it too like hesitation gen, nothing to do and mustang.



It’s a 4/5 for me.

Shamus248
Contributing Reviewer
May 28th 2024


1137 Comments


"It's a 4/5 for me"

*has it rated 5/5*

Nadal2021
May 28th 2024


7 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

It’s been changed shamus. Relax yourself

DoofDoof
May 28th 2024


15875 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

butt average

bananatossing
May 28th 2024


2453 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

"Seen is one of their best ever songs. Great rockers on it too like hesitation gen, nothing to do and mustang."



Literally the songs I complimented on my review. That's 4 of 12 songs. I'm being generous given that the others don't suck, but they are pretty average in general, even for KoL standards.

Nadal2021
May 28th 2024


7 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

You spent most of your review giving us a backround on kol. This album sounds nothing like when you see yourself in any way. When you see yourself was a lot slower and the songs were way longer. The production here is much better and the vocals more distinct.



The slower songs here are very good too. Split screen, actual daydream and don’t stop the bleeding are very well done.

bananatossing
May 28th 2024


2453 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

How do "Split Screen", "Ballerina Radio", "M Television", etc, do not fit on WYSY? This isn't any more "faster" other than a total of three songs. I just don't see how much this differs from what they've been doing lately at all.

Nadal2021
May 28th 2024


7 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

M television isn’t even a slow song for starters and sounds nothing like anything on when you see yourself. Ballerina radio and split screen don’t sound like any songs on when you see yourself either. When you see yourself is a very good album too so I don’t see it as criticism.



Let’s agree to disagree. Critics and fans have mostly liked it.your review was a good read just don’t agree with your comparions to when you see yourself.

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
May 28th 2024


32179 Comments


I liked the last one, gotta hear this.

Middle18
May 29th 2024


397 Comments


This album sounds almost identical to the last one like i even made a playlist of just this and the last album and put in on shuffle and genuinely couldn't tell which song was from which album.

That being said....both albums are decent and I love this band

Flugmorph
May 29th 2024


34905 Comments


thats the best album title ever, for that one alone I'm considering checking this out even though this band has always seemed like the most bland rock to me

juiceviaorange
May 29th 2024


1078 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Call it old age or whatever, but I really like Kings of Leon again. This album is strong and I've gone back to the mid-period I skipped over in my snobbier years. Been having a lotta fun for a couple weeks.

juiceviaorange
May 29th 2024


1078 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Anyone else noticing the grainier production on this thing though



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