"Youth & Young Manhood" is the debut studio album by American rock band Kings of Leon, released in 2003. The album was a massive success and propelled the band into mainstream popularity. Even though it didn't chart highly in the United States, it performed remarkably well in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, becoming a multi-platinum record in the UK and Ireland.
The album boasts an intensely exhilarating blend of garage rock and southern rock. Its raw visceral energy, loud guitars, and bracingly candid lyrics showcase the band's early origins and influences. "Youth & Young Manhood" received critical acclaim for its unpolished, uninhibited style and the raw talent of the band members. Hits from the album include "Red Morning Light," "Molly's Chambers," and "California Waiting."
The band members, consisting of brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill, along with their cousin Matthew Followill, grew up in a religious household in the American South. The album's sound and lyricism heavily reflect these early-life experiences, with echoes of their Pentecostal upbringing and the southern rock 'n' roll they grew up listening to.
Produced by Angelo Petraglia and Ethan Johns, "Youth & Young Manhood" helped cement Kings Of Leon as one of the leading rock bands of the early 21st century.
