As autumn arrives, so too does new music from Kings of Leon. A track that envelops the glow of autumnal sunshine and domestic warmth, ‘My Whole World’, is the band at their most pared-back and vulnerable, its introspection glowing with gratitude. It’s our first taste of their upcoming new album, ‘O My Beloved’, and it’s sweet and rich, like homemade “peanut butter pie” in the track's rich imagery.

Paired with tender vocals from Caleb Followill and acoustic guitar, it has the easy groove of a Sunday morning; no rush to be anywhere, but rather a time to savour the mundane moments—laughter of children, nostalgic memories, and old faces. It signals a new direction for the band’s sound, stepping back from studio polish and into an honest looseness in their first self-produced album.

That shift in direction traces back to how the band is thinking about this chapter. Followill framed the album’s intent plainly in the press release: “We have already surpassed anything we ever imagined we could do, and we’ve built something that is so special. I thought, wouldn’t it be beautiful to make an album that is looking back on all of the things that we’ve done and appreciating how we got here.”

And, ‘My Whole World’ delivers this perfectly with its melancholic twang and slow tempo. Each image, whether that be brothers “throw[ing] the ball around” or “the pin oak tree”, feels like collective memories of a universal experience; a testament to the band’s ability to weave stories; something the album as a whole is set to expand upon. ‘O My Beloved’ is due for release on November 6th via Love Tap Records, the band’s own label.

Megan-Louise Burnham

@mgn.lb

Image: Josh Goleman

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