Ask almost any band, and they'll say touring is the highlight of a musical career. It is rare, however, that any sort of rock star aspires to do so accompanied by his mother and minister father. As children, the Followill family, early members of the Southern garage band Kings of Leon, did just that, spreading their father's religious message throughout the Southern states of America.

Even though their tour wasn't musical in nature, the Followill boys experienced the rhythms, sights and tastes of a Southern lifestyle. But maybe that's what sets garage rock Kings of Leon apart from their contemporaries: Instead of imitating the grittiness of the South, the members lived it.

Since their formation in 2000, with the recruitment of cousin Matthew Followill, family band Kings of Leon have worked quickly to shed the religious influences of their childhood, making them a true force among other artists in the Southern garage rock scene. Never shying away from unpolished guitar lines, heavy percussive beats, or vocalist Caleb Followill's Muppety, Randy Newman-esque vocals, the Followill family has managed to capture a certain dirty Deep South swagger that has garnered them success on previous albums Youth and Youth Manhood and the critically acclaimed Aha Shake Heartbreak.

Yet with their newest release Because of the Times, Kings of Leon have taken their boot-stomping, dirty Southern rock to a new level of maturity by subtly toning down the animated sound found on their previous albums. "Knocked Up," the unfortunate pregnancy story of a young unwed couple, sets the album's more subdued tone. As the guitar gently throttles and the percussion rattles beneath it, the instrumentation accurately reflects the hopelessness of the young couple's situation.

Kings of Leon also bookends their latest with the track "Arizona" — a solemn tribute to just one of the many states the Followill brothers traveled through during their childhood. Its slow instrumentation and steady vocals end the album on a somber, though positive, note.

Despite their increasingly matured sound, older fans of the band's raw Southern sound need not fear. Kings of Leon still manage to bring a little of that gritty influence to their newest album. The bouncing guitar and clean percussion lines of "Black Thumbnail" reflect the simpler instrumentation from the troupe's past albums. As Followill warns, "Don't take these boots off when you're thinking I'm dead/ I'll still be running from the demon in my head." The lyrics also hint at the desperado-style loneliness of the American southwest.

Although not as dark or heavy as "Black Thumbnail," the trashy hit "Fans" is the album's most obvious return to the dirty edge of Southern rock. With its sexual perversity, as well as a bobbing bass and jangling guitar lines, "Fans" recalls the trashy, rousing, up-tempo number "Soft" from 2005's Aha Shake Heartbreak.

In addition, fans will not be disappointed to hear the return of lead singer Caleb Followill's easily distinguishable, hard-edged vocals on this newest album. Arguably one of the album's best tracks, "Charmer," allows Followill to exercise his vocals to the best of his ability. After he opens the track with a David Lee Roth-inspired banshee shriek, Followill quickly delves into this gritty femme fatale story with his gravelly warble, incorporating an additional number of piercing shrieks throughout the track. Followill also tests his vocal versatility on the experimental track "On Call." Combining the band's Southern influence with an experimental rock 'n' roll edge, Followill's vocals soar above the buzzing guitars and background synthesizing.

Because of their new approach on Because of the Times, old Kings of Leon fans may not immediately be receptive to their polished new sound. Instead of their former honky-tonk sound, this family-band has found a way to refine and even subdue their abilities into a mature, well-measured product.

Even so, upon closer inspection, it's easy to detect that Southern roughness intertwined in all of Because of the Times' tracks, serving both as a testament to Kings of Leon's childhood upbringing and distinguishing them from other Southern garage rockers.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5