Kings Of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak

Before Kings Of Leon realised their aspirations to become bland, U2-impersonating, stadium rock sell-outs, there was Aha Shake Heartbreak: the album that alerted the world to Caleb Followill’s incoherent Southern drawl. Of course, newly turned-on fans soon went on to discover the band’s 2003 debut, the equally superb Youth and Young Manhood, but it was this album that really cemented their reputation as one of the decade’s most significant bands. Say what you like about them, one listen to ‘Milk’ is all it takes to transport you back to a blissful time when ‘Sex On Fire’ was but a bad reference to the side effects of venereal disease. (Sheena Madden)