Aha Shake Heartbreak

That said, brother Caleb's lyrical concerns are strictly of the old school: the likes of "Taper Jean Girl" and "Milk" deal with wine, women and song, although if you can decipher his ragged Southern twang - at times, eerily reminiscent of Frank Black's mangled Mexican on the Pixies' "Vamos" - you perhaps deserve some sort of medal. The Kings' strongest suit is probably their fast numbers - see "The Bucket", a hymn to the touring lifestyle hauled along by the seat of its pants by a rabid clatter of tom-toms. But "Milk" offers a rare moment of neat fragility, Caleb relating an eccentric tale of a girl with an "hourglass body" to the gentle pulse of Nathan's bass drum. --Louis Pattison

And then came along The Strokes, swiftly followed by The White Stripes, The Vines, The Hives, BRMC... We got so carried away that even The Datsuns were hailed as the new, "saviours of rock'n'roll" for a day or two. Relative latecomers to the scene, Kings of Leon seemed to be just another band who rolled off the production line with clothes, hair, and a background story just a little too good to be for real.

Whether the family Followill really are the offspring of an alcoholic preacher who spent their formative years travelling the south to spread word of the good lord, we'll probably never know. However, if there was ever any doubt about the honesty of their musical convictions, Aha Shake Heartbreak should help dispel it. First things first, this is no rock'n'roll party album in the vein of Youth and Young Manhood. As fine a record as that was, the Kings have progressed, and done it with great style and taste.

Somehow the Kings have managed to return with an album that appears to be the difficult second album and post-fame downbeat comedown record rolled into one, but have defied all logic by making it sound compellingly brilliant. Opener 'Slow Night, So Long' sets the tone, introducing itself with chiming chords reminiscent of Joy Division with a Peter Hook-esque bassline to match. After building up to a climax that rocks like The Who it then fades out into a beautiful piano led calypso coda with Caleb singing: "Rise and shine all you gold-digging mothers." Truly this is one extraordinary and adventurous record.

They are still capable of rocking like Lynyrd Skynyrd - 'Velvet Snow' is easily the match of 'Molly's Chambers'. But the tracks that really shine are the ones that sound completely removed from the old 'new rock revolution'. 'King of the Rodeo' has got a chorus that you wont be able to get out of your head for days; 'Day Old Blues' will make you seriously wonder why no-one has ever thought of mixing yodelling and rock'n'roll before and there will not be a song released this year with a more funky bassline than 'Razz'.

In Aha Shake Heartbreak the Kings have managed to do what no one could have dared hope. Where The Strokes, The Vines and countless others have failed, the Followills have transcended the retrogressive scene that gave birth to them and developed into a truly special and unique band.


Another triumph   May 22, 2007
B. Parker (Derbyshire, UK)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

After the impact of their brilliant debut album, the Kings' follow-up album was eagerly anticipated. And they delivered BIG time!

Aha Shake Heartbreak (though an odd name for an album) simply solidifies the thoughts among many (myself included) that the KOL are the best rock band to have come out of America for a long, long time.

It is chock-full of lively, driving numbers, awash with Caleb's Southern, twangy drawl, Nathan's snappy and precise drumming (check out "Velvet Snow") and Matthew and Jared's solid bass-lines and catchy riffing.

Top tracks include "Slow Night, So Long", "The Bucket", "Velvet Snow" and "Taper Jean Girl". "Milk" is a bit of an odd song as it's hard to understand what the opening lyrics are about, but it does build up well and is a good contrast to the others. And if there is a low-point, I would say it was "Day Old Blues", which just seems out of place. The pace of the album overall matches "Youth and Young Manhood" but my one criticism is that a lot of the songs are just too short and seem to be a bit rushed through.

Is it better than their debut? Personally I don't think so. (It certainly doesn't "[...] all over Youth and Young Manhood" like NME claimed it would). But it is a brilliant album, cementing the Kings' status as one of the top bands in the world today.



The best American rock album this century   October 16, 2005
19 out of 21 found this review helpful

Kings of Leon may claim a preposterous history and have a reputation of being party-hard immature youths, but their music speaks depths of their true genius. Their second album, "A-Ha Shake Heartbreak", is both a clear improvement on their already incredibly good first offering ("Youth and Young Manhood")and proof of a real understanding of what rock is really about.

And not only do Kings of Leon know the meaning of rock, but also know how to help it evolve. Just listen to the first track on the album, 'Slow Night, So Long', which although has less immediate impact than the opener on "YAYM", brings their original sound to new levels. No one could have expected the jazzy, sombre feel of the ending section. I was amazed, and loved them more with every passing chord.

The third track, 'Taper Jean Girl', as well as being my personal favourite, proves that Kings of Leon know exactly what direction they are headed. It is confident, rhythmic and has, in my opinion anyway, one of the greatest riffs in any rock song in the past decade. A stunning song.

'The Bucket' is another obvious strongpoint, but unexpectedly (if not for the yodelling)'Day Old Blues'is quite enjoyable, and 'Pistol of Fire' and 'King of the Rodeo' also live up to this standard. There are no fillers. No weak songs. Kings of Leon are determined to make an impression on the world of rock, and who knows, with this album, they might even change it.


It just gets better..   October 25, 2004
22 out of 27 found this review helpful

The Kings of Leon stormed onto the stage with there stunning, if slightly 1 dimensional debut. There has been many debates this summer as to whether they would be able to produce a quality second album. Well they have, its as simple as that.

Aha Shake Heartbreak is the album that we all hoped it would be and more. From listening to it it appears to be more personal to them. The songwriting is far more advanced the guitar riffs are excellent. The genius is that they have still retained the same elements of te first album which made it so sucessfull. The Kings of Leon are the best thing to come out of the USA for a long time and this album further proves that.

My personal favourites on the album are the new single 'The Bucket', which is the most original sounding song on the cd. My other highlights are 'Razz', which has the coolest bass line, 'Pistol of Fire', 'Soft' and 'Milk'

If you loved the first cd then you will adore this cd. If you didnt like Youth and Young Manhood then you will love this cd. Its as simple as that. Caleb and the gang have written a corker. Make no mistake, the Kings of Leon are back!!


An Impressive Second Album   January 31, 2005
Adam Cox (Blackpool, UK)
14 out of 17 found this review helpful

A-Ha Shake Heartbreak is one of those albums that surpasses the first album by a long way. It is an excellent follow-up to Youth and Young Manhood and shows much more diversity in the band's music. It shows they have much more to offer, musically. Openers, Slow Night, So Long and King Of The Rodeo are more of the typical Kings of Leon style Southern rock seen on the first album. Pistol of Fire and Taper Jean Girl combine some great lyrics with catchy guitar riffs. The exceptional Milk shows a more sensitive side to the band's music with its slow acoustic guitar opening. Up next comes The Bucket one of my personal favourite tracks and the song that made me buy the album. The Bucket combines Strokes style riffs with Kings of Leon's excellent songwriting. Soft is a song which demonstrates how the band have gone for more diversity on this album, a catchy melody and a great chorus make for good listening. Razz, Velvet Snow and Four Kicks are all great short and sharp songs, fast and immediate, in a good way. Day Old Blue is a brilliant slow song with a catchy chorus, sensitive lyrics and a good acoustic guitar melody. Like Milk, it is one of those songs that stays in your mind and keeps you hooked. Rememo is another slower song with a good bassline and some well written lyrics. The album ends with Where Nobody Knows, a worthy ending to an excellent album. A-ha Shake Heartbreak is an extremely impressive succesor to Youth and Young Manhood. It shows an evident musical progression in the band and a much more diverse range of styles. From the fast and furious songs tot he slower songs, I can say there is not a bad track on the album. Therefore, I don't have a specific standout track as every song is as good as the next.