Before their sex was on fire, Kings of Leon were a rag-tag bunch of southern brothers (and cousin) with a barnstorming southern rock flavoured debut record, Youth and Young Manhood. Slotting neatly into the guitar rock revival of the early 00’s alongside the White Stripes, the Hives and the Vines, the band found themselves affectionately dubbed “the Southern Strokes” by the rock press. While Youth and Young Manhood certainly doesn’t break any sonic ground, the band seem quite content not to reinvent the wheel, instead preferring to conjure a hip-shaking barn dance with the spectres of Tom Petty, the Allman Brothers and Creedence Clearwater Revival all looming largely. The Kings’ roughly hewn southern-rock charm would fade little by little on each subsequent album in favour of slick U2-sized balladry, but here on their debut they deliver a record that does exactly what it says on the box – a well crafted set of rock n’ roll tunes about self discovery and youthful indiscretion that, while proudly wearing its influences on its sleeve, is emotional, direct and electrifying.
Key tracks: Red Morning Light, Happy Alone
Pete Whelan 