The Followill boys return in various stages of facial hair development, and in fine form with the next single to roll off their wonderfully titled second album, Aha Shake Heartbreak. Most at home in a barn dance, this is a song drenched in southern American warmth and tradition.
Recalling (as ever) Lynrd Skynrd, King of the Rodeo sees Matthew's tight Beefheart-esque riff waltz around cousin Caleb's familiar, and highly distinctive, yelping vocals and Nathan slapping the drums lazily in the background. There are even handclaps, and these plus some rhythmic (if not entirely coherent) lyrics add a percussive aspect that will leave your feet twitching for several seconds after the two and a half minute track draws to its giddy close.
Aha Shake Heartbreak was a little bit 'hit and miss' on the whole in my opinion, but King of the Rodeo was definitely the best song on there - mixing garage rock and country to bring out a highly entertaining track that is probably as close as they have come to matching the ubiquitous Molly's Chambers.
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