My Rating: 3 out of 5
Fun is a matter of perspective. When it comes to music, fun can be dancing wildly in a club, but it can also be enjoyable to listen to loud music in the car or calm music at home while watching a rainy day through the windows. And yes, it can be exhilarating to gather in a giant stadium to see a world-famous rock band playing their hymns live. I think this is the kind of fun the Followill family, a.k.a. The Kings of Leon, are evoking on their latest album.
It was the third KOL album when I first encountered the band. “Because of the Times” was an album I listened to several times at work or in the car, and “On Call” or “Charmer” are songs I still enjoy today. The 2007 album foreshadowed that this band would soon be great and known to a far wider audience. That happened sooner than I expected when they released their album “Only by the Night” in 2008, featuring the smash hits “Sex on Fire” as well as “Use Somebody”. This album was a worldwide success and an excellent album.
The next album, “Come Around Sundown,” contained another hit, “Radioactive,” but neither the song nor the album grabbed me. It felt like more of the same. Thereafter, they released three more albums, and I can’t even remember if I heard even one track from those.
After one listen of “Can We Please Have Fun,” I can say I didn’t hear an instant hit, but the outstanding voice of Caleb Followill makes every song a KOL signature. I think some of the songs are going to work great in a stadium, while others work fairly well for just listening while doing something else. “Mustang,” “Nothing to Do,” and “M Television” could also work at an indie party, but are not smash hits.
The album tries (really hard) to connect to the roots of the band and also to explore some new avenues. This project succeeds more poorly than well. Thus, the album is more about fun than a serious attempt. It is not a highlight, but still better than a lot of the content released these days. Depending on your mood or expectations, the album can be enjoyable. It’s all a matter of perspective.
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