Guitars shriek at the opening of Kings of Leon’s sixth album, “Mechanical Bull.”

It’s a beckoning call of a new beginning in the band’s career, and a shedding of all of the stress and pressure that came with their generally ill-received fifth album, “Come Around Sundown,” a shocking disappointment after the huge success of their fourth album, “Only By The Night,” that propelled them into worldwide fame.

The Followill brothers, Caleb, Nathan and Jared, along with cousin, Matthew, clearly had fun with “Mechanical Bull,” and it’s a great return to form for the Kings.

After the rollicking opener and lead single, “Supersoaker,” the band goes into a mid-tempo, groovy track, “Rock City” that has a noticeable bounce to it that was absent from their previous two albums.

Vigor and giddiness surround “Mechanical Bull,” giving it a strong youthfulness and harkening back to their first three albums, which were ridden with vivacity and sparkle.

The establishment of this mood is due in large part to the first two tracks, along with the no nonsense, rapid-paced third track, “Don’t Matter.”

Another song that shares this sparkle and bounce is “Family Tree.” Lead singer Caleb’s laughter at the beginning lets you know right off the bat that you’re about to have some fun, and Caleb’s vocals smooth over the rumbling drums and the sneaky guitar and bass line.  Towards the end, it devolves into hugely satisfying vocal harmonies and handclaps before soaring back into its funky raucousness with guns blazing.

Along with its groovy rockers, the album has its fair share of songs that are more epic in scope.

One of the strongest songs on the record, “Tonight,” maintains a steady drive until Caleb’s vocals ascend to a whole new level as guitars begin to howl and drums start to thunderously hammer. Sharp pain and desire in Caleb’s voice create a strong sense of yearning and heartbreak, and he’s at one of his brightest moments vocally and lyrically.

The atmospheric, slow-moving rock ballad, “Beautiful War,” marches forward with steady interjections from a pulsing guitar. It then reaches its peak as Caleb sings, “I say love don’t mean nothing unless there’s something worth fighting for. It’s a beautiful war.” Then, the drums, bass and guitars all swell up together cohesively and fantastically. “Beautiful War” has a great build and progression that allow Caleb’s vocals to shine while also letting the band's instrumentation to move freely and take shape organically.

In terms of types of rock songs, “Mechanical Bull” runs the gamut from upbeat rockers “Temple,” “Don’t Matter” and “Coming Back Again” to ballad-focused songs more epic in scope like “Comeback Story,” “Beautiful War” and “Tonight”.

What makes “Mechanical Bull” so strong is how well these different types of songs work to create an impressively solid and collective album.

The majority of the album is rich in its song structure as what may seem like simple songs at the onset take on lives of their own. Each grows layers and dimensions that make the fleshing out of songs natural as opposed to tiresome or worn out.

The Kings show that they’re hitting all cylinders with this release and they’ve found a unique groove.

The album encompasses the energy and rawness that made their earlier work so compelling and entertaining, as well as the arena-sized anthems that have made them one of the top acts in rock.

The Kings have crafted a strong, determined, engaging and charming effort with this album.

“Mechanical Bull” is a party that ends too soon, but is one you’ll surely be going back to often.

 

Standout tracks:

“Family Tree”

“Tonight”

“Temple”

“Rock City”