In 2008, Kings of Leon made its way onto iPods everywhere with the release of its song "Use Somebody," a soaring, adult-contemporary, radio-station-friendly rock song displaying the boozy southern rockers' softer side, off their 2008 album Only by the Night. But Kings of Leon, consisting of the Followill brothers Nathan, Caleb and Jordan and their cousin Matthew, have been around much longer. Kings of Leon has been releasing material since 2003 and were rock stars in England before they were considered such in America, winning awards and topping the charts. However, older fans bemoaned Only by the Night, saying Kings of Leon sold out because it was less of the blues/southern-rock revival sound the band was known for and more of the arena-rock sound that is synonymous with bands like Nickelback. While I don't really agree with that sentiment, I did see that "Use Somebody" was not Kings of Leon's best.I'll admit that I didn't start to really listen to Kings of Leon until I heard "Use Somebody," but the song intrigued me, so I went and sought out more of its songs. What I found were songs much more daring and impassioned than anything on Only by the Night. Songs like "Holy Roller Novocaine" and "Knocked Up" from previous albums were simply better because they had a sound different from anything I'd heard; some parts are understated, others are a flagrant display of booze, sex and religion and how the three aren't always separate. So with its new album, Come Around Sundown, released Oct. 12, I was hoping to find something more rebellious and aggressive that was lacking in Only by the Night.

Come Around Sundown lived up to my hopes, and in a way, it didn't. The album isn't great, but it's not terrible. The album resides in the limbo between great albums and horrible albums; it's the "we can make decent songs that will get attention and sell records because, well, we've done it before" album. For the most part, it's a solid album that's an improved follow-up. The album will probably gain Kings of Leon some more Grammy awards, as well as performances on a litany of talk shows and award shows, but musically, there's still something missing.

The album opens up with "The End," a song that feels a bit clichéd because the lyrics are basically lead singer Caleb Followill moping around. The vocals themselves are powerful, but that can't hide the overly sappy lyrics; the mopey feeling is exacerbated by the singer belting out, "This could be the end" one too many times. Then the song ends with an overwrought and overused sentiment: "Cos I ain't got a home/ I'll forever roam." Despite my misgivings about the content, the song is one of the more interesting ones on the album due to the beautiful, understated guitar in the background that goes a bit screwy during the chorus and bridge.

"Mary" is possibly the best song on the album. It's different from anything Kings of Leon has done before: doo-wop! Well, at least something reminiscent of doo-wop, chock full of "ahhs" that could be played over any scene of a '50s-era school dance as couples sway back and forth with their poodle skirts and cardigans. With a relentless guitar riff backed by a simple and direct drumbeat, "Mary" is a bit sloppier than the other songs, echoing the seemingly teenage, tortured relationship.

Other notable songs are "Back Down South" and "Pony Up." "Back Down South" is a lazy southern-rock song full of twang, fiddles and plenty of talk of dancing, beer and gettin' romantic underneath the stars. While "Pony Up" features an eccentric guitar riff and a cowbell that makes the song feel lively as Caleb Followill sings of a rowdy fight, it still keeps that gritty southern feel with the lyrics.

Come Around Sundown falls flat because it tries too hard for the big choruses that'll get everyone singing. For example, "The Immortals" feels slick and cool during the verses due to the prominence of the bass but falls when the "big" chorus comes in changing the pace of the song. "Pyro" is another song that had potential, but it doesn't really go anywhere. Like "The End," "Pyro" is a downer, with Followill singing "Everything I cherish is slowly dying or it's gone," solidifying himself as a degenerate destroying the lives of those around him as he wails that he "won't ever be a cornerstone."

Like I said, there are no major issues with this album. Come Around Sundown is simple but sometimes intricate, well-thought-out and exultant here and there. It's an improvement, but it didn't feel ballsy, something that makes songs like "Knocked Up" and "Holy Roller Novocaine" so remarkable.