Because of the Times is the third album by Kings of Leon. Because of the Times was released by Kings of Leon on March 30, 2007 in Ireland/Australia, April 2, 2007 in the United Kingdom and April 3, 2007 in the United States. The album has received generally positive reviews and has appeared in numerous Top-10 lists for "Album of the Year. In 2009, Clash named the album number 3 on the "Clash Essential 50", a list of the most important albums released since the magazine's inception in 2004. Reception The album was #6 in NME albums of the year, as well as #31 on Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2007. NME said that the album "cements Kings of Leon as one of the great American bands of our times" and Entertainment Weekly called Because of the Times "an epic wide-screen movie of a CD and the band's best to date." Another reviewer described Because of the Times as, "an accomplished album of unbelievable beauty and familiar, loveable grit. Kings of Leon is maturing wonderfully and with patience, not forcing anything musically or lyrically that doesn’t sound natural." However, some critics found the album inferior to their previous efforts. Stylus Magazine rated it a C- and noted "If they wanted us to take them serious this time around, they'd at least try to be right honest about their ascent into minor celebrity and not keep on with the yokel façade. Without cautionary yarns regarding life on the tour bus or banging supermodels, the bright-eyed, legs-stretched mood of the music