WALLS is the seventh album from rock megastars Kings of Leon, a group that I really love. I said about as much a couple years ago when the band put out their last LP Mechanical Bull, an album that I enjoyed quite a bit. That LP had come after the less than stellar Come Around Sundown, which wasn't terrible, but lacked guts. MB brought back some off the gusto that was missing on CAS, and while WALLS isn't nearly as energetic as MB, it doesn't completely bland out the band's sound either, instead, this album finds the band working with a sound that is definitely rock, but is very tempered and mature.
In a lot of ways, WALLS reminds me of Bruce Springsteen's output post- Born In The USA; there are a lot of big, anthemic tunes, but the band also takes the time to slow things down, especially on cuts like the title track, and the excellent "Over". But there are still a couple more typical rockers on here too, like the opener, and the track "Eyes On You". Of course, when I say rocker, I mean these tracks are a bit more uptempo than the rest of the tracks here; however, nothing on this LP comes close to being as raucous as say, a track from Aha Shake Heartbreak.
But at this point in the band's career, I don't expect that kind of song. What I do expect, and what I get for the most part on this album is a batch of very well written and performed rock tunes that provide a very pleasant and enjoyable vibe. Is this album a little bland? Yeah, it is, but I can't deny that I still found myself really enjoying a lot of material from it, and I think any KoL fan will dig it plenty, and anyone looking for a solid rock LP will at least find something to enjoy here. Plus, I'm a sucker for bands that can pull of the feeling of great Bruce Springsteen tune.
7.3/10
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