Youth & Young Manhood (CD - 2003)

Additional personnel: Angelo (acoustic & electric guitar); Ethan Johns (guitar, Hammond B-3 organ, percussion).

Recorded at Shangri-La Studios, Malibu, California; Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California; House Of Blues Studios, Memphis, Tennessee; Ocean Way Studios and GroundStar Studios, Nashville, Tennessee.

Personnel: Caleb Followill (vocals); Matthew Followill (guitar); Richard Causon, Jared Followill (piano); Nathan Followill (drums, percussion, background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Ethan Johns.

Recording information: Groundstar Studios, Nashville, TN; House of Blues Studios, Memphis, TN; Ocean Way Studios, Nashville, TN; Shangri-la Studios, Malibu, CA; Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA.

Photographer: Colin Lane.

Arrangers: Ethan Johns; Angelo.

Though Kings of Leon hail from the South and boast a collective hirsute quality that would make CCR proud, they are neither Skynyrd-worshipping Southern rock revivalists nor country-tinged roots-rockers. Rather, their raw, shambling sound suggests a cross between the garage rock of the Strokes and White Stripes and the heartland sleaze-rock of Nashville Pussy. In fact, if the aforementioned garage types hadn't loosened up the music industry a bit, it would be hard to imagine a band as down-and-dirty as this foursome getting a major label deal. The songs aren't all blazing stompers; there are the occasional touches of acoustic guitar and piano and even a waltz tempo on one tune, but still in the same pointedly discombobulated spirit as the rockers. A hidden track on the end that sounds like EXILE-era Stones in heroin-country mode offers a hint to the Kings' deeper roots and leaves the option of sonic advancement open for the future. minimize