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