Released 22nd October 2008  (RCA) 

 

 

 

Which is a bold statement in itself, not withstanding the fact that I don’t have a uterus (last I checked).

 

How did this moment of near biblical proportions occur? Listening to ‘Use Somebody’ for the first time had just left me fuller of spirit, breathless and experiencing my first hot flush. Seriously, the highlight of their greatest album yet (and of the year so far) will leave you feeling giddy, stunned and just deliriously happy.  

 

So put that on your bible and smoke it.

 

The simple fact is, as great as their first album was, Caleb’s vocals came across as little more than the screeching rant of a Cartman impersonator. There’s only so much leeway a ‘Southern’ accent can get you. As their albums (and notoriety) have progressed however, the whole band has grown tighter, calmer and technically better. Riding on the wave of their recent Glastonbury headlining stint, the Kings realise that this is the time to give it all or nothing and in doing so have produced an album of uniform quality, eclipsing anything they’ve tried before.

 

The mumbling Southern drawl has been replaced by a confident, bluesy (and most importantly) articulate growl that can touch your soul in a number of ways. From the grimy, fuzzy bass guitar on ‘Crawl’ to the euphoric stadium filling soul of ‘Use Somebody’, your ears will feel like they’ve just been on a journey from the seediest, dirtiest and sexiest dives around to the life-affirming, warm hug of a best friend.

 

Slap on a surfboard, strap on some protection and make sure you hop aboard the wave that the Kings are currently riding. You’ll love it.

Posted In Album Reviews, Sep 22 2008. Words - Matt