There's always a pretty strong predisposition towards liking cds which have been gifts - the principle also operates with books, though to a lesser extent, maybe (perhaps it's just that people are more likely to give books on the basis that they've heard that it's good rather than because they've read and enjoyed it themselves) - so I approached Kings of Leon with an open mind after being given the album by Penny (in part because she's been enjoying it lately, and in part because she thought the album's title appropriate to its occasion, that being my lately passed birthday), despite not having been grabbed by the bits and pieces of their stuff that I'd heard before.
That notwithstanding, though, I still think that this is a band which is entirely solid without ever threatening to be particularly good, and all the southernisms can be a bit irritating over the course of a whole album. They're probably actually better than I think, for I've never been particularly into bluesy, four to the floor rock and roll (a brief dalliance with Led Zep in late high school excepted) - it's just not my style, and especially not now, with sweet sad tuneful stuff continuing to be what it's all about). But still, the only song on Youth & Young Manhood which particularly does it for me is "Joe's Head", which is, admittedly, pretty darn good.
