Kings of Leon Live EP: Day Old Belgian Blues

Bursting onto the scene with their last two discs, the Followill boys that make up Kings of Leon have been putting their southern accents - vocally and musically - with garage rock for the last few years. Their sound has been praised by critics and audiences alike, as they have brought to the studio the sort of sound that you just know sounds better in concert. And now, thanks to the demand, the disc that proves this is now available.

Originating as a limited edition EP, Day Old Belgian Blues was simply meant to be one of those fan-oriented pieces in the catalogue. Recorded in 2004 at a live show in Belgium, there are only six tracks revealed on a set list that extends for a quick twenty minutes. No matter how short, the ride is absolutely thrilling.

With songs found on both their debut, Youth and Young Manhood, and their most recent full-length, Aha Shake Heartbreak, Kings of Leon rock the house from beginning to end with a southern rock flair that The Elms and The Black Crows would be jealous of. The difference between these acts, however, is the ability to meld this sound with that of The Strokes or The Vines, yielding a gentleman's garage rock that exudes its own charm.

"Four Kicks" is a great example of this as vocalist Caleb Followill croons with a classic rock swagger over thrashing, repititious rock riffs that are both familiar yet distinct. "Trani" features a tiring frontman who has given the crowd everything he can muster, yet the song more than contains the soul found on the studio efforts.

And that's exactly where this piece succeeds where the others fall, if that's what you can call it. Day Old Belgian Blues is an offering that finally showcases what the quartet have been showing audiences all along. Songs like those found on Kings of Leon albums aren't meant to be sung, recorded, mixed, and engineered in a studio somewhere, caged and changed to perfection. They are meant to be unleashed to the masses where the energy and vitality can be as raw as they were intended.