Kings of Leon, the shaggy, longhaired indie rock group, has taken the UK and the US by storm, with hits like “Use Somebody” and “Supersoaker.” Their 7th album, Mechanical Bull, is a long-awaited follow up to their 2010 album, Come Around Sundown.

   Mechanical Bull, starts out with three songs that have powerful, long, authoritative guitar solos mixed with loud, passionate vocals from lead singer Caleb Followill. As the album continues, it gets increasingly gentle and subtle. The fourth song of the album, “Beautiful War,” slows the tempo of the album down and forced me to follow along with the occasional guitar lashes, setting me into the trance that Kings of Leon’s fans have been yearning for ever since 2010. After “Beautiful War,” which is eerily similar to the song “Mary” from Come Around Sunshine, the album just keeps getting better and better.

I listened to the entire album in one sitting, and I was taken through an emotional roller coaster, with some songs that are irresistibly catchy and gloomy and others that are high tempo with lots of guitar and drums. Kings of Leon have refined their sound even more on this album than their last. Ever since my first listen, when the album came out, I haven’t been able to stop listening. The songs drew me in and have that sound that stuck in my brain and makes me want to listen to it every night when doing homework. It gave me that feeling where you just can’t get enough. Songs like “Comeback Story” and “Last Mile Home” were instant favorites of mine, with perfect, catchy lyrics backed by rhythmic guitar and soft drum melodies.

To me, this album is the perfect mix between old-timey rock and roll and new school indie music. Kings of Leon have created the perfect mix that many bands fail to accomplish. Music bloggers and critics have been comparing Kings of Leon to musical giants like U2 and the Strokes, both of which share a similar old-and-new sound.

I would strongly suggest this album to anyone who likes country, indie or rock and roll, especially when mixed together. To me, it is one of the best albums of the year. Give it a listen.