Kings of Leon - a Review of The Phantom Tollbooth

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Holy Roller Novocaine EP
Artist: Kings of Leon
Label: RCA
Length: 5 Tracks (15 minutes 48 seconds)

Ladies and gentlemen I would like to introduce to you the Kings of Leon. A long haired pack of brothers (and one cousin) from Tennessee. The sons of a Pentecostal minister, in whose Church they grew up and learned the basics of emotionally charged musical expression. A group also educated musically from their father with The Rolling Stones and Neil Young when their mother wasn't looking. The Kings of Leon, Nathan, Caleb, Jared, and cousin Matthew, are a family that plays like one, and with musical influences older than they are. And if radio has any character left these days, you'll be hearing a lot about this foursome in 2003.

Now that you've been properly introduced, what is there to say about their debut EP, interestingly entitled Holy Roller Novocain? Well as it turns out, a heck of a lot from a project fifteen minutes in length and five tracks long. This project is an unpretentious slice of rock and roll heaven, containing five equally amazing and varied pieces. The project starts off with the clever "Molly's Chamber ," the song about a girl who can take over your senses, and keep you thinking about her all day. Molly is described as:

Just another girl that wants to rule the world
Any time or place
And when she gets into your head
You know she's there to stay.

This song is catchy, and has some great guitar riffs, which answer themselves over and over throughout the song. Next is Wasted Time which is toe taping and rootsy thoughout. The lucid bass line, is answered with a catchy chorus of lyrics, followed by some passionate near screaming vocals. This song is followed by California Waiting , which is more personal and contemplative song where the coherent instrumentation around the singer says as much as he does with his line:

Hey, California waiting
Every little thing's gotta be just right
Say, While you're tryin' to save me
Can't I get back my lonely life?

Here producer Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Whiskeytown, Counting Crowes), joins in as he does at several points in the EP to add a little Hammond B-3 which is just perfect! Next, Wicker Chair is a drunken ballad about the woes of losing control of one's life. This song also works around the familiar structure here of meaningful and packed chorus accompanied by a catch sing along chorus, with a great effect. The final song on the disc is probably the most complex musically and instrumentally, Holy Roller Novocaine . This song is very creatively put together, and is about a manipulative evangelist who uses his influence to seduce young women. The song has a pulling the wool over the eyes so to speak, effect. The song is filled with creative lines like I'll be out back in my white Cadillac, won t you join me for a ride. This is the song at its cleanest, but it gets much more descriptive, but I would also say much more clever. Nonetheless, a very amusing song, and at the same time revealing the wicked ways of the wolves in sheep's clothing of the evangelistic community.

Holy Roller Novocaine is perfect for what it is-- an EP. It doesn't give you the full experience an album would, but is definitely five perfect songs, which are going to ensure that I will be first in line this summer to pick up their full length album. Another potential advantage of releasing an EP is that a lot of times debut albums run very long, and this gives this young band the opportunity to get a lot of material out there without making one huge project which would have the disadvantage of running too long. Either way, hopefully a year from now, you won't need me to tell you about this band because they will have made an impact on the scene of those who appreciate great music. Look for this unpretentious band with a great new/old sound to be a force in 2003.

Matt Kilgore 3/15/2003