IN REVIEW: J. Roddy Walston and the Business - "Destroyers of the Soft Life"

On their fourth album, J. Roddy Walston and the Business seem to be looking to continue their parallel career arc with Kings of Leon; through a trio of ragged rock records that gained them a small modicum of stature, album four (much like KoL's Only By the Night) sees the Virginian group swinging for the crossover fences. So as to say, the electric tension of previous records is dulled here in favour of sharper hooks and an uptick in melody.

That said, far be it for me to fault a band for chasing a hit in this day and age; establishing yourself as a rock band in the current musical climate usually requires lightning in a bottle, a right place/right time song (or two or three) that captures a moment in time for listeners and uses its wide appeal to defy expectations of commercialism and longevity. We don't have to look far for an example, as Portugal. The Man did just that this year with Feel It Still, an undeniably catchy bid for attention that is still captivating ears more than six months after its release. Why not tailor your sound a bit and go for the gold?

And so Destroyers of the Soft Life is chock full of hooky numbers that could theoretically become hits, although considering it's been nearly a decade since Kings of Leon's mainstream inception and this album calls its plays from a similar book I feel like JRW is in tough; still, much of Destroyers does possess an unmistakable, almost classic appeal. There's a lot of genuine soul on display here, especially in the album's quieter moments, and most of the rockers are taut and effective even if they don't pack the same punch as what came before.

Any real criticism is limited to its proximity to what came before, although in the absence of a true towering prospective hit like Use Somebody this is an album that could hold plenty of appeal for anyone who was turned off by Kings of Leon's rapid rise to prominence in 2008. Having said that, I miss the rush of the previous album's louder moments, and not getting anything approaching the thrilling fervor of Heavy Bells feels like a hard concession to make (although late-album highlight Bleed Out does its best as that song's timid little brother).

If nothing else, Destroyers of the Soft Life is dressed for success and, if the stars see fit to align again, there's a case to be made for a smash hit hiding in the track list. The Wanting has done moderately well, although my money would be on Numbers, a faster tune with bigger hooks and more energy. Ideally, this potential single would be the one that rises in the ranks and points to the future of this band, rather than the subtler, softer fare that implies a reliance on past successes or, worse, a willingness to follow Kings of Leon through their accessibility stage into the bloated and tired rehashing that came next for them.

September 29, 2017 • ATO
Highlights You Know Me Better • Numbers • Bleed Out

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