Review: Now 21 years into a hugely successful career, you'd forgive Kings of Leon for resting on their laurels. That they've not done that with Can We Have Fun, their ninth studio album. Instead of dialling in alt-rock-tinged American rock anthems - their stock-in-trade - they've instead delivered a set that's as spiky, unpredictable and infectious as their earliest work, while also making space for moodier, slower and more atmospheric songs. So, on one hand you have recent single 'Mustang', an infectious slab of garage-rock funkiness, and the weighty Foo Fighters riffs and booming bass of 'Nothing To Do'; on the other the slow-motion beats, effects-laden ambient textures, soft-burn guitar solos and dreamy sonics of 'Split Screen' and the country-goes-indie flex of 'Actual Daydream'.
… Read more