The Great Conundrum of Kings of Leon

It's the age old debate. When a band changes sounds, are they doing it because of their own artistic progression, or because they want to make money on whatever is trendy? We know a band like the White Stripes did it purely for the former, whereas a band like the Gossip did it purely for the latter. But what to do with Kings of Leon? Their follow-up record to their country-rock hipster debut was moderately OK and their last album - which marked their first big departure from their original sound - was pretty bad. Of course, that translated to increasing commercial success and attention from mainstream rock press. And now they come out with a brand new record that falls in line with the post-U2 genre of pounding, serious pop music masquerading as arena rock (in other words, music made for Grey's Anatomy).

But the thing is...it's good. It sounds like the best of that genre. So it begs the question: even if a band changes its sound just to cash in, does it matter if the band is actually good at it?

"Sex on Fire"

And for full circle's sake: "Molly Chambers"