Amazon.co.uk Review: Typecast them as rootin', tootin' cowboy rockers if you will, but Aha Shake Heartbreak shows the Kings Of Leon have more to offer than beardy rock classicism. Indeed, for all the talk of Neil Young or Creedence Clearwater Revival, the outfit this Nashville-based band of brothers (and one cousin) resembles most is New York new-wavers The Strokes: it's there in Nathan Followill's minimal, metronomic drum rhythms, there in Matthew Followill's spare guitar lines, and there in frontman Caleb Followill's insouciant, beer-chugging drawl.
That said, brother Caleb's lyrical concerns are strictly of the old school: the likes of "Taper Jean Girl" and "Milk" deal with wine, women and song, although if you can decipher his ragged Southern twang – at times, eerily reminiscent of Frank Black's mangled Mexican on the Pixies' "Vamos" – you perhaps deserve some sort of medal. The Kings' strongest suit is probably their fast numbers – see "The Bucket", a hymn to the touring lifestyle hauled along by the seat of its pants by a rabid clatter of tom-toms. But "Milk" offers a rare moment of neat fragility, Caleb relating an eccentric tale of a girl with an "hourglass body" to the gentle pulse of Nathan's bass drum. --Louis Pattison
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - yew-haw
best of their 4 albums.
their most consistent, it really sounds like they are on fire and inspired.
raw rock at its best a-la 70's ac/dc or credence clearwater revival but not mere copyists, they have their own very unique twist on things.
better than the 1st album as this is more cohesive as the 1st was a mix of an earlier e.p and some new songs and as a result sounds a bit disjointed, i doubt they will ever ... Read More
Rating: - Another triumph
After the impact of their brilliant debut album, the Kings' follow-up album was eagerly anticipated. And they delivered BIG time!
Aha Shake Heartbreak (though an odd name for an album) simply solidifies the thoughts among many (myself included) that the KOL are the best rock band to have come out of America for a long, long time.
It is chock-full of lively, driving numbers, awash with Caleb's Southern, twangy drawl, Nathan's snappy and precise drumming (check out "Velvet Snow") ... Read More
Rating: - SOUTHERN SPECTACULAR
How does one describe this album, southern american rock maybe, but oh how it rocks. Their first album was excellent, but they have actually gone one better.
This is one band you must listen too, because to describe them it would all just come out wrong, so do yourself a favour and treat yourself to some magic and make your own mind up.
SHEER CLASS
Rating: - In the top 5 albums of all time!
This album is just sheer brilliance, it has changed my taste in music completely. If someone described this album to me before I'd listened to it, I probably would have avoided it. Thank God I didn't!
It is brilliant all the way through, I saw them live in June 05 in London, and they were absolutely brilliant.
Not enough words in the English language to describe how awesome this album is.
If it's not already in your CD collection, or on your iPod, I have already lost ... Read More
Rating: - The best American rock album this century
Kings of Leon may claim a preposterous history and have a reputation of being party-hard immature youths, but their music speaks depths of their true genius. Their second album, "A-Ha Shake Heartbreak", is both a clear improvement on their already incredibly good first offering ("Youth and Young Manhood")and proof of a real understanding of what rock is really about.
And not only do Kings of Leon know the meaning of rock, but also know how to help it evolve. Just listen to the first track on the album, ... Read More
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