The Cold Cut

Kings Of Leon- Crawl (Link 2) (Link 3) or download from the band (preferably).

Discuss: Kings Of Leon- Unstoppable?

Kings Of Leon will creep up on you. Just when did they get this big? "This" being "walk-in-the-park Glasto headlining" big and "trotting out brilliant albums every year" big. I get the simultaneously wonderful and terrifying impression that nothing can stop this band... Most optimistic fans weren't expecting to hear from the band until 2009, at the earliest. And yet, information trickled out of the KOL camp that a new album, 'Only By The Night' is to be released in the US on September 22.

Yesterday, NME broke the news that they would be doing an exclusive free download of a new album track 'Crawl' between the hours of 3-5 PM on Monday 28th July. And download I did. The album now feels within touching distance. You can head over to NME now (the download is still up).

So, the verdict? These boys can do no wrong. 'Crawl' is dirty, grimy and sounds like a direct progression of their 'Because Of The Times' sessions. They riff on pop culture, with the repeated chorus of 'Walk away, walk away', and there is even enough time at the end for a fitting guitar solo (an element largely left out of their music... until now). In short, this song is nigh-on perfect, and once again, they appear to be moving onwards and upwards. The question is, will the Kings ever hit a wall? On the basis of this and the three preceding albums, I wouldn't bet on it.

The album's first single is called 'Fri On Fire'. No news on the release yet, but a mid-August release woudl be the safe bet to allow the pre-album heat to build. The album can be pre-ordered via Amazon. The band are also embarking on a UK arena tour this Christmas:

Brighton Centre (December 1)
Nottingham Trent FM Arena (December 2)
Newcastle Metro Arena (December 4)
Sheffield Arena (December 5)
Glasgow SECC (December 7)
Liverpool Echo Arena (December 8)
Birmingham NIA (December 10)
London O2 Arena (December 11)
Bournemouth BIC (December 14)
Manchester Evening News Arena (December 16)
Cardiff International Arena (December 17)

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5 down, 15 to go. This is proving more taxing than I initially thought, but on the plus side the fact that I'm struggling emphasises the quality of music that has been released in 2007. Keep checking back daily for the countdown. Any guesses for my top 5? And what are yours?

15. Bloc Party- A Weekend In The City
I wasn't instantly won over by this, but the brilliance of 'Song For Clay', 'The Prayer' and 'On' had me in a head-lock from the start. The album won the battle, and its pleasing to see that their style is changing (and now we have Flux!). Unfortunately, they missed out on a golden opportunity by not releasing the B-Sides with the album- some of the bonus tracks are better than those on the release itself. Even without this addition, A Weekend In The City is a progressive, solid album, whichever way you look at it.

Favourite Track: Song For Clay (Disappear Here)

A brilliant opener, hectic and with more bass than ever seen on a Bloc Party song. Kele takes it to new heights with his falsetto. Tragically, the rest of the album couldn't quite live up to it, but it set the right tone straight off.

14. Justice- †
D.A.N.C.E. is one of my favourite tracks this year, and † lived up to the immense hype surrounding it. The common misconception is that Justice sound like Daft Punk, but as I've made efforts to point out, this really isn't the case. From experience, I've realised that you can't put this album on in the background (try learning for exams with †! Ain't happening...), and that when 'Genesis' kicks in, there ain't no going back. † demands your attention, and you had better give it.

Favourite Track: D.A.N.C.E.

It had to be, didn't it? Now all I have to do is find one of those awesome T-Shirts...

13. LCD Soundsystem- Sound Of Silver
Before Sound Of Silver, James Murphy was an unknown to me, his music an enigma. Despite this, I found it hard to ignore a well crafted, 9 track (no duds) dance album, held out in front of me by my brother. Crafted around the unstoppable trio of 'North American Scum', 'Someone Great' and 'All My Friends' (the latter two are both contenders for my favourite song of the year), Sound Of Silver is a rarity in that the dance beats are actuallly coupled with something meaningful, in the form of Murphy's lyrics.

Favourite Track: Someone Great

This one's for you, Michael! Destroys All My Friends on the emotion scale.

12. The Shins- Wincing The Night Away
The Shins are a frustrating band; whilst they might be big in America, they have yet to make an impact in the UK. That might be in the works, but an 'OC/Garden State effect' might help them along.

Just as with The Hold Steady, its great to see a group of 'older' guys making great music together. I absolutely loved Chutes Too Narrow, and with Wincing The Night Away, things only get better.

Favourite Track: Sleeping Lessons

This caught me off-guard the first time I heard it; unfortunately, it doesn't happen much in music nowadays, but I like being suprised...

11. Kings Of Leon- Because Of The Times
Third time around, the Kings took the road less travelled, and made things difficult for themselves. They emerged on the other side with the new outfits (skinny jeans, leather and new hair) and an updated sound. Because Of The Times pulls a new trick on us, and rather than re-hashing the excellent, but dated, Molly's Chambers and Red Morning Light, there are many signs of progression on their third album proper. Their most challenging, accomplished album to date.

Favourite Song: My Party

It is what it is- the high 'oooooohs' and the relentless guitar feedback make this gritty song into a classic. Textbook Kings with a twist. 'On Call' who?