Kings of Leon : Knocked Up

Man, I do like Kings of Leon, especially their earlier stuff. I, for one, am glad they're seeing some success on the pop charts. When I caught my wife and younger daughters singing along with "Use Someone", it made me happy.

Kings of Leon is a group of brothers and a cousin, all named Followill, who got together just before 2000 and formed a band. Their sound is primarily driven by southern rock (think Skynyrd) and that Americana-folk that permeates modern indie. They come by it honestly though, in that these guys were literally the sons (and nephew) of an itinerant southern Pentecostal preacher, traveling from town to town throughout the Bible Belt. Their early stuff rocks hard, but they've sweetened up and mellowed out a little over the course of four albums, with their latest opus being far more MOR rock radio ready than previous efforts.

"Knocked Up" is a great tune about two young adults who are dealing with, well, being knocked up. They've decided to leave against the better wishes of their parents and set out for who knows where. And although it's a dead ringer storywise for "Young Turks", it's got that sweet, sad, 'what the hell are we supposed to do with our lives' pathos of "Jack & Diane".

Musically, there are a couple of things this song really has going for it. First, there's the driving road-trip rhythm that just propels through the whole song. It really makes you feel like you're cruising down a desert road in the dark of night, and each time the little bit of guitar chimes in, it feels like a ghostly telephone pole whipping by through the corner of your headlights. Suddenly it gets a little angrier and heavier, gearing down and rocking out, just to rev the engines a little. But it always comes back to the relentless beat.

Then there's the singer's plaintive voice, wrapped around these amazing lyrics, shot through with bull-headed machoism and the naïve optimism of the young and in love. "I don't care what nobody says, we're gonna have a baby." Screw you if you think we can't handle it, because we just did it and we are so out of here. "I don't care what nobody says, no, I'm going to be her lover. Always mad and usually drunk, but I love her like no other." They don't know where they're going, or what they're even supposed to do. They're just... going, because they know that, no matter what, they are in love and true love will prevail.

I'm serious, it makes me weepy just thinking about this mythical couple, the subject of a million after-school specials, special episodes and Lifetime made-for-television movies. But somehow, this band really nails it.

"Knocked Up" is off Kings of Leon's third release, 2007's Because of the Times. But they're all good. Seriously. Grab 'em all.

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