“The South is dry and will vote dry. That is, everybody sober enough to stagger to the polls will.” --Will Rogers

Aha Shake Heartbreak by Kings of Leon is just a fun album. I had a great time listening to the unique sound of the band. The guitar licks have that "hook" to them, without being too pop-y, and though they can be a little repetitive, it's always something I want to hear again. For a modern rock band, I was pleased with bass lines. The straight-eighth beat is in the background a lot, but quite often the bass jumps out of the line for a few beats and gives flavor and drive back to the melodic repeat. The drums are even melodic in their own right. Nathan Followill provides a firm foundation for the rest of the music, while keeping his patterns light and fun, rather than heavy and overpowering. This quality gives the entire album a bounce to it--and bouncy is fun.

I have to devote a whole paragraph to Caleb Followill's voice. It is one the most original voices in the indie-pop world that I've heard. During the band's upbeat numbers, his voice just adds to the energy the instrumental parts create. And on the band's ballads, his gravelly yowl is simply heartbreaking, and reminiscent of the old blues singers.

Like I wrote earlier, this output from the Tennessean quartet is fun. Aha Shake Heartbreak is definitely an album that will be going on my list of favorites.