You’ll know this by now.
Still riding high in the UK singles charts, ‘Use Somebody’ by the Kings of Leon is a fantastic example of something good coming from adversity. On their recent UK tour, it was announced on stage how this song originated from an argument the band had in Glasgow and quickly evolved during a sound check the band had the following day. Its uplifting backing vocals and spirited guitar lines don’t sound like a band in the doldrums, but the lyrics, with a tired and jaundiced view on the world tie in perfectly with the feeling of being halfway around the world from your home. Of course, the lyrics are not evocative of Glasgow which is an immense city, lets just be thankful the Kings of Leon are too big to be playing in Edinburgh otherwise the lyrics may have been really depressing!
The song is a perfect example of the way the band's sound has changed from their earlier days. Yes, its more anthemic and stadium bound but critics of the band say that the edge has been lost from the group and the song is more akin to a Wyld Stallyns ballad. The song doesn’t contain too many changes, even the change in tempo is sign-posted but when you consider the fact that the British public has taken the song and the band to its heart, its pretty obvious that its not going to be the spiky indie hit of the year.
That said, sometimes the British record buying public can recognise a good tune when they hear one and ‘Use Somebody’ is definitely a very good song that kicks, drives and pushes in all the right places. A perfectly timed softer moment for the time of year, 2008 has undoubtedly been a year of the Kings but with festival domination likely for 2009, expect more of the same from the boys in the year ahead.