Surly but sinewy songs

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These Kings of Leon came across as a somewhat charmless bunch. It is true that some of the more sceptical UK observers of rock's rich pageant have seen fit to doubt the authenticity of the Followill clan's claim to being the three sons and one nephew of a defrocked Deep South hellfire whiskey preacher.

There have also been murmurings about an element of caveman misogyny that occasionally surfaces in their lyrics. Their hair is decidedly long. It cannot also be denied that singer Caleb had a cold, not least because he told us of it. Yeah, verily, he had a cold. In rock 'n' roll terms, however, having a cold is akin to having a secret addiction to Horlicks: you just don't talk about it.

Whatever the reason, Caleb and his crew were not giving off that "I love London" vibe. Which is a pity because London loves them, and has been - as is usual in matters of taste and refinement - the making of them.

When the Kings' debut LP, Youth & Young Manhood, was released, the NME hailed it as the best debut album in the past 10 years. The new album - released today - comes with another encomium from that publication of record: "Pisses all over Youth & Manhood". Do you begin to see how good Aha Shake Heartbreak (the new LP) must be? Kings of Leon are, in point of fact, the epitome of a great rock band. They hold their guitars at exactly the right angle without any hint of posturing.

The drummer Nathan - he's the one without the guitar for any rednecks reading this - looks upon his kit as a reprehensible ensemble that is deserving of a good flogging. Their songs are a wonderful variation on Southern R&B Gothic, at once dark and deeply uplifting. There is no flab here, only muscle. Solos are for fat cissies.

Kins Of Leon: Tribute To The Kings Of Leon