Milk¶
600 words on Music
I’ve mentioned the Kings of Leon here twice before. Last summer I was a bit worried about their strong marketing thing but liked most of their music, being downright impressed by some songs. Their first album definitely got a good number of rides on my record player. Then, this summer, I saw them at the Haldern festival. While I enjoyed their gig, I found that it didn’t live all the way up to my expectations as they seemed pretty bored by the whole thing. So I was wondering what they’d be up to next.
And their new album going by the funny name Aha Shake Heartbreak should be a good clue for that. Thanks to the incredibly clever strategies of the record industry this American album has been available in Europe since the beginning of November but will only be available in the U.S. next year. Even better, iTMS Germany has a standard and expanded version of the album on offer. In the typically well-managed fashion of that store, the latter containing one extra song! I guess this is the time where I need to admit to myself that having an MBA might help in understanding both of these facts…
Musically, I find the album a bit slow. You won’t regret spending money on it. But it’s not competing to be the album of the year either. While the first album was a bit rough – that roughness, wherever it survived, seems artificial to me in their new offering – things sound very patiently produced. That’s not good. In addition I find that the songs are very different and lack the clear sense of style that I found on their first album.
But even if you don’t like this sort of thing, I urge you to listen to the song Milk which is slow as well but very cool. To me it seems to be one of those few songs you can drown yourself with. And I keep thinking it would make a brilliant soundtrack for the opening scene of Lost Highway with a car chasing down the middle of a road, in the dark. Or for most other occasions.
Next, I’d like to know how they made up the lyrics and what they had in and on their minds while doing so.
Salty leave. Salty leave.
Tell me the one about the friend you knew
and the last good night that we toasted to.
Salty leave.
Stay for me. Stay for me.
We drank wine in the matinee
and the spotlight showed what I chased away.
Stay for me.
She saw my comb over, her hourglass body,
she had problems with drinking milk and being school tardy.
She’ll loan you her toothbrush,
she’ll bartend your party.
Kill me. Kill me.
I called and called, but I can’t get through,
said he’s on his own, but his own is you.
Kill me.
She saw my comb over, her hourglass body,
she had problems with drinking milk and being school tardy.
She’ll loan you her toothbrush,
she’ll bartend your party.
She saw my comb over, her hourglass body,
she had problems with drinking milk and being school tardy.
She’ll loan you her toothbrush,
she’ll bartend your party.Kings of Leon, Milk
Addendum: Just listening to the song again nice and loudly on my proper stereo, rather than in my office, the kitchen or the iPod, I had to conclude that this song is a bit over-produced as well. It’s not bad but it’d be cooler if it didn’t seem to effortfully arranged. And if the singer were a bit more relaxed.
