It’s been a 5-year wait, but next month, Nashville rockers Kings of Leon drop their 8th album, from which they’ve already released two singles.
The money is on Adult Alt hit “The Bandit,” a hard driving 4+ minutes with a story that has fire, horses, and an old bounty hunter and could be about the old West. Or not. Hard to tell. The lyrics are pretty abstract:
Must catch the bandit /. Reckless abandon /. Rundown and stranded
In less than a month, “The Bandit” raced up both the Adult Alt and Alt airplay charts, now sitting at #3 and #12 respectively.
Remember “Ringo” and “Big Iron?” They weren’t rock songs, but top 40 radio played them anyway, steeping us Boomers in tales of outlaws, lawmen, and the old West, which was also the backdrop for Bon Jovi’s 1987 “Wanted Dear or Alive” about a lonely and forsaken rock star.
Kings of Leon has been around 20+ years. Caleb Followill is lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, two bandmates are his brothers Nathan and Jared Followill, plus their cousin, Matthew Followill.