Holy Roller

Rock is back! It was gone, right? Didn’t The Strokes bring it back or something? I’m really not so sure how the story is going to go down and, honestly, I highly doubt there will be a chapter for the Kings of Leon. The Kings have so many things going for them, a major label deal (RCA); a hotshot producer (Ethan Johns); a catchy new single (“California Waiting”); a gimmick (three brothers and a cousin); of-the-moment good looks (that 70s hippie garage thing); and a newly hyped EP in Holy Roller Novocaine. 

Clearly, there are a lot of great things happening in mainstream rock right now, specifically the influences, which are usually offset by the mandatory good looks and marketability thing. I think that last sentence nearly sums up Holy Roller Novocaine.

The Followill boys are music fans, talented fans at that; the problem is, they don’t have the “edge” that their influences all had. They spent most of their lives traveling in a car with their dad, going from church to church listening to classic rock; how can they possibly not have an edge? Add that to their list of attributes, a great back story; they’re all set to shine.

Unlike most of the other garage bands currently selling t-shirts, the Kings of Leon don’t sound like the Stooges or The Velvet Underground. King Leon Followill, AKA Daddy Rocker, taught his boys well, playing them Rolling Stones and Neil Young albums in between Mass and Sunday School; upon listening to their 15-minute EP, you can’t help but be a bit impressed by their ambition to mimic their heroes. The Kings know how to make catchy, radio-friendly roots and roll music. Whether or not that angle will fly in the current garage scene is yet to be determined.

“Molly’s Chambers” and “Wicker Chair” feel like early Old 97s tracks, while “Wasted Time” bares a painful resemblance to early 90s Aerosmith, minus the production value. The aforementioned single “California Waiting” is such a great song, but the same excitement unfortunately can’t be extended the rest of the EP. Eventually the four remaining songs come around, but overall, you are getting an $8 single and a glimpse into one of the 50 current bands that could do something great someday. Look for their album coming this summer; I’m sure the girls will be thanking God for the Kings.    8.5/10

Written by G. William Locke