Kings Of Leon

★★★★ When You See Yourself RCA. CD/DL/LP

The Followill family’s epic eighth; their best in years.

The last decade began ominously for Kings Of Leon. First, they had to abandon a show in St Louis in 2010 because pigeons were defecating on them. A year later, a tour was nixed in the wake of frontman Caleb Followill drunkenly departing the stage mid-gig. This period of adversity seemed to give the quartet pause for thought, and in the intervening years, the Southern rock buccaneers have become a more considered and reflective version of themselves. This eighth album continues in that vein, exhibiting an expansive sound that aligns them with the grown-up sound of American rock classicism. There are echoes of Springsteen on gloriously unhurried opener When You See Yourself, Are You Far Away and Pearl Jam on the chugging, melodic Time In Disguise. It seems that selfexamination has taken them to bold, new places.