Kings Of Leon - Supersoaker / Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?

Two of the bands who seem to have outlived the mid-2000's guitar band boom and are now building to even bigger and better things, but how do the two compare?

Both Arctic Monkeys and Kings of Leon have graced our ears for around a decade now, being two of the best bands to have been produced by the mid-2000's 'indie' boom, but both of course have taken very different routes. The Monkeys, four cheeky lads from Sheffield, re-wrote British guitar bands with their exemplary first two albums, and by way of Josh Homme and desert rock, have grown into one of the biggest bands these shores have produced, with very little drama along the way. On the other hand, the Tennessee rockers Kings of Leon blitzed us with five albums in seven years, trademarking a uniquely Souther rock sound before spectacularly blowing up in 2011, with the band sighting exhaustion and alcohol problems. Now both are back.

Kings of Leon probably have the more to prove. Lead singer Caleb Followill's very public breakdown (as he slurred his way through gigs on the ill-fated 'Come Around Sundown' tour') capped a troublesome period for the five-piece; as the more stadium-gleamed sound of fourth album 'Only By The Night' and the backlash for uncertain fifth record 'Come Around Sundown' ended their previous streak of music invincibility. Now, fresh from rehab and with the batteries recharged, new single 'Supersoaker' sounds like Kings of Leon aiming to refind their signature sound.

Heralded by scuzzy guitars and a drumbeat lifted from 'Taper Jean Girl', 'Supersoaker' is bright and summery, with that reassuring presence of a crawing Followill vocal. It shimmers like the 'Aha Shake Heartbreak'-era sound, and is a welcome hark back to their best period rather than a shameless attempt to recapture their old style. Lyrics such as 'I see through smiles on every face/I don't believe it' and 'I don't know my home/I don't know my place' show that some of the old tensions may not have completely disappeared, but - complete with an effectively simple melody and a feel-good outro - it feels like the band are happy to be a band again. All points towards a better vibe ahead of sixth album 'Mechanical Bull', due for release in the autumn.

Arctic Monkeys' journey to their fifth album has been a lot less dramatic. No rehab, no signs of breakdown at all for Alex Turner and Co. as they have maintained an almost unstoppable rise and rise to the top of British music. First, they re-wrote indie music for the Noughties, and have since become the premium guitar band of these lands, opening the 2012 Olympics and headlining Glastonbury. So there is understandably a different mood in the camp ahead of fifth album 'AM', heralded by single 'Do I Wanna Know?'.

Starting with a unstoppably seductive guitar riff, 'Do I Wanna Know?' continues the good work of 'R U Mine?' by coupling the hard rock edge of 'Humbug' with the bright and romantic melodies of 'Suck It And See' to devastating effect. Turner again croons over a seemingly unrequited love, singing of 'this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow and I play it on repeat' and how 'the nights were mainly made for saying things that you can't say tomorrow day'. It's the sexiest the High Green boys have ever sounded, from the killer riff to Matt Helder's falsetto to the mid-tempo strut, and it continues a winning streak that doesn't seem destined to end anytime soon for Turner.

So in the battle of the tracks it's the Monkeys who come out on top with the seductive 'Do I Wanna Know?'. Alex Turner seems like a man who can do no wrong, as many struggle to name a poor track even among B-sides of the Arctic Monkeys output, and new record 'AM' seems set only to add to that catalogue. 'Supersoaker' is a summery delight, and will go down as a welcome addition to the Kings of Leon's live set, but it is better served as a reassurance that the Tennessee boys are not quite finished just yet.

Two good tracks, but the Arctics just take the win. So, here's their victorious track, 'Do I Wanna Know?', live at Glastonbury no less, for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.

NWR

Lose Yourself To Dance - The Return of Turn Up The Sun

Well, hello people. It's been a long time, but it's time for a new start. While I have been very busy getting a full-time job and moving in with the girl, music has been moving at it's same old hasty pace. We've seen a couple of blockbuster albums, new bands breaking through, the return of some old favourites and many more. So, I believe it's time for the wheels to start a-turning yet again on this grand blog, and let's see what happens shall we?

First up in a short series of refreshers for the year gone by is my summation of this year's Glastonbury. Yes, we all know it was to be the year of the Stones, but was that so?

GLASTONBURY - BATTLE OF THE HEADLINERS
The scene was all set for the Rolling Stones to take the headlines and the plaudits yet again. Almost unbelievably for the band that has done everything, they had never appeared at Worthy Farm, and for the first time in a very, very long time, they almost had something to prove - with Jagger and Richards keen to join that illustrious group of bands famed for their Glastonbury headline spots (Pulp, Blur, U2, Oasis, The Verve to name but a few). And did they do it?

Well, kind of, yes. Admittedly, I wasn't there so I cannot really judge - I, like millions more, only caught the second half of their performance after a lengthy negotiation with the BBC and may have missed the euphoria only felt to those present. And yes, the opening of their set could have been phenomenal. But from what we saw, I found the footage .... cringworthy. What we saw was not the grandfathers of rock powerfully reasserting their place at the top of their game, it appeared to be a set of OAP's struggling to keep up with the pace of live music with some weakly delivered songs. Jagger appeared to be fitting across the stage, Richards barely played his guitar for large portions and drummer Charlie Watts seemed at death's door for much of the gig.

It didn't matter though. This set's place amongst Glastonbury folklore was already secure as soon as they were confirmed at the festival, a band the size of the Rolling Stones and the songs they command demand it. It meant that their performance didn't really matter, just having them there was the moment of this year's festivities. But from an objective point of view, it was clear to see why the band didn't want their set broadcast. It boarded on the embarassing on the slower, less well-known numbers, and the band was carried by the crowd on the bigger numbers, as they willed them to greatness.

So, if they were not the best headliners, who was? Was it Mumford and Sons? The tweed-clad band of brothers in love with the Worthy Farm set-up, having played every year since their inception? Big fat no. Despite the build-up and the fact the folkers somehow got the Sunday night spot, it was a damp squib. While the likes of 'Little Lion Man' and 'I Will Wait' got the flares lit and the crowd bouncing, it was the slow material that dominates 'Babel' that truly killed the mood at Glasto, to the point where even the arrival of Vampire Weekend and The Vaccines at the finale to cover The Beatles' 'With A Little Help From My Friends' was inadequate. Marcus Mumford & Co. have made the unfortunate transition from cheeky folk troubadours to arrogant and disengaged half-arsed performers, and were regrettably shown up on the big stage of Glasto.

With this considered, the Friday night headlines need only turn up, play decently and take the title of best headliner. But that doesn't seem like the way the Arctic Monkeys do things. The Monkeys have headlined before - a underestimated set in 2007 on the back of their second album - but this is an entirely different beast now. Through 'Humbug' and 'Suck It And See', the band's sound has matured and grown, and you only needed to take one glance at Alex Turner's 50's quiff to realise that they have become showmen over the years. Add these elements together, and their show was a revelation. A killer set with no weak spots, even finding space for first album tracks 'Dancing Shoes' and 'Fake Tales of San Francisco'. The Monkeys are a band of extraordinary talents that now boast a repertoire of stunning depth, and put in a magnificent performance to surely reassert their position to overtake Oasis as the nation's favourite band. Adding the touch of a subtle yet euphoric acoustic performance of 'Cornerstone' and 'Mardy Bum', the Monkeys found that special moment that sticks in the common mind of music lovers worldwide - they've got their piece of Glastonbury history.

The Stones may have the status and Mumfords may be Michael Eavis' best mates, but the undoubted winner of the battle of the headlines were Sheffield's own, Arctic Monkeys. With up-coming album 'AM' on the horizon now, the time is theirs to take the title of the land's biggest group and reach that new level we all new was possible from the first chord of 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'. Wembley Stadium anyone?

The show was well and truly stolen by Alex Turner, and here's one of my favourite tracks from the show, 'R U Mine?' Enjoy.

NWR