Aha Shake Heartbreak

1	Slow Night, So Long 3:54
2	King of the Rodeo 2:25
3	Taper Jean Girl 3:05
4	Pistol of Fire 2:20
5	Milk 4:00
6	The Bucket 2:55
7	Soft 2:59
8	Razz 2:15
9	Day Old Blues 3:32
10	Four Kicks 2:09
11	Velvet Snow 2:11
12	Rememo 5:52

Barnes & Noble

On their debut album, Youth and Young Manhood, this all-in-the-family combo -- think Hanson after a trip down to the crossroads -- exhibited a virtually nonstop swagger. That made for a compelling vibe but less-than-memorable songs, a shortcoming they’ve rectified on this slightly mellower, considerably more clear-eyed follow-up. Still well rooted in southern rock tradition, the Followills conjure up the spirit of Duane Allman on the slithery “Day Old Blues” -- on which Matthew’s guitar and Caleb’s vocal do the sort of dance that could only be concocted by good old boys born under a bad sign. But rather than merely boogie the night away, the quartet takes off in some unexpected directions, adding off-kilter polyrhythms to “King of the Rodeo” and a Spectorsound grandiosity to “The Bucket.” A musky energy permeates a good deal of the disc -- from the lustful “Taper Jean Girl” to the near-elegiac “Slow Nights, So Long” -- which can be credited in equal parts to the live-in-the-studio recording process and the natural rawness of Caleb’s voice. Ideal for a late night’s debauching, and not so bad for the morning after, either. David Sprague

All Music Guide

The mysterious Followill family returns to the front porch/garage on the Kings of Leon's engaging sophomore effort, Aha Shake Heartbreak. On Youth & Young Manhood, the Kings gave Southern rock a swift kick in the rear, sounding like Lynyrd Skynyrd posing as a bunch of N.Y.U. film students (or vice versa). For their latest, the Nashville quartet raises a flag that's equal parts Confederate and Union Jack. Their success in the U.K. is understandable, as Caleb Followill's lazy drawl sounds like a cross between Bon Scott, Ray Davies, and Eddie Money with a slight Jamaican accent, but it's their seamless and agreeable blend of rock & roll, country, and Roky Erickson-style psychedelia, matched with a keen lyrical wit, that makes them fascinating to both sides of the pond. On the twenty-something barfly opener "Slow Night, So Long," Caleb laments/celebrates the soulless dance of the one-night stand ("She's opened up just like she really knows me/I hate her face, but enjoy the company") like a true student of outlaw country. It's a theme that runs rampant throughout Heartbreak, and whether it's set against a swamp-sick boogie ("Pistol of Fire") or emitted through a lonesome yodel ("Day Old Blues"), it resonates as clear and cool as the opening notes of a Creedence Clearwater Revival tune. Reverend Lee Power