As with their first two albums, YOUTH AND YOUNG MANHOOD and AHA SHAKE HEARTBREAK, BECAUSE OF THE TIMES finds Nashville alternative rockers Kings of Leon recreating the majesty of 1970s southern rock for the emo generation. Sounding like they were raised as much on a steady diet of Neil Young, the Faces, and the best of Capricorn Records as they were on Pentecostal preaching--the father of the band's three brothers is himself a noted preacher--the Kings of Leon create classic-sounding but demonstrably modern alternative rock that appeals to both the vintage 1970s AOR audience and its kids. Lyrically, songs such as "Knocked Up," "Camaro," and "My Party" sound like diary entries from an archetypal bad-boy teen, a persona that's deepened by more thoughtful tunes such as the epic closer, "Arizona," and the near-ballad "True Love Way." A solid follow-up to their earlier albums, BECAUSE OF THE TIMES cements the Kings of Leon's place as the Allman Brothers Band of the new millennium.

• Genre: Rock
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 3/13/2012