Rocktrospectiva: The Consistent "When You See Yourself" Turns 5

Released on 5 March 1991 "When You See Yourself" was the 8th., studio album by the US band Kings of Leon, it was preceded by the singles "The Bandit" ,"100,000 People" & Stormy Weather". The album was the first released by the band in 4 years and also became the second band to released an album in NFT (not fungible tokens).

Through out the years, the odd shift back and forth between experimental vanguard, bombastic feel good rock, dysfunctional family drama and well-dressed cosmopolitan troubadours somehow seemed necessary to understand "When You See Yourself", the band’s eighth album and best in more than a decade. The album’s title functions as a mission statement of self reflection. 

The album provided several interesting tracks such as the mid-album highlight "A Wave" which was a good indicator of this strategy. Ultimately a typical Kings of Leon track – a nostalgia-laced ballad that builds into the triumphant refrain – was aided by a very unique guitar tone. The absolute highlights of this approach were also "Golden Restless Age", "The Bandit" and "Echoing"; rock tracks that structurally had more in common with power pop songs. "Golden Restless Age" mixed slight melancholic longing with a central riff and gradually building synthesizers.

"The Bandit", had a prominent rhythm section and faintly-veiled guitars could be a throwback to Because of the Times. The tricky "Echoing" constructed like a prank, the song’s structure, with its breakdown during the chorus and galloping drums, seems to led towards a big catharsis, which comes right after the three-minute mark, only to end just as it started. It's kind of a tease, but its sudden ending functions like a hype-up and will very likely be a live favourite. It also marks the return of Caleb's Lou Reed-infused "I just can't be bothered" songwriting style, this was evidente on closer "Fairytale"sounded like a reverb-drenched "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" homage. 

Despite some critics called the little lesser moments on – like "Stormy Weather" and "Supermarket" – cause are associated with the band’s more coastal sound. The tracks aren't bad, especially for "Stormy Weather" but don't feel all that special and sadly feature some pretty generic lyrics. And finally the country-infused "Claire & Eddie" and the synthesizer-led "100,000 People", whose atmospherics and melodies were so much more engaging. 

Considered at the time as a collection recording of tracks that at times muscular, at other times breezy, but recorded with care that allowed the band retunring to the rough live sound of their early days, perhaps the album should be released somewhere in the late 00s than early in the 2020s.  

 

When You See Yourself Track List:

 

1. When You See Yourself Are You Faraway

2. The Bandit

3. 100, 000 People

4. Stormy Weather

5. A Wave

6. Golden Restless Age

7. Time in Disguise

8. Supermarket

9. Claire & Eddie

10. Echoing

11. Fairytale