Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
Kings Of Leon have very steadily developed their sound. Their 2003 debut, Youth & Young Manhood, was classic indie garage rock with horny undertones, but fast forward to 2008 and the band have released their fourth album, Only By The Night, which finally sees the band going all out to fill the arenas of this world. And they’re aiming to do this with lead guitars that are meldoic enough to stay in your head for a while, vocals that could get a 10,000 crowd singing in unison, and keyboards. Every arena band by law should have a keyboard.
The reason for this all-out sound? Caleb Followill’s pain from meds, as he recovered from shoulder surgery last year. His vocals on this album are heartfelt and meaningful. Compared to how he once was – a snarling, lustful and frantic young man – he is writing the most honest lyrics of his career, and some of the best. When this album really works, the choruses can be big and powerful, like on Sex On Fire and Use Somebody. Crawl is also a notable highlight, a song that instantly draws comparison to Led Zeppelin.
This isn’t perfect though. The finale, Cold Desert is a forgettable album closer (something which the band haven’t got right since Holy Roller Novacaine), bordering on bland and over-ponderous. However, Only By The Night is the sound of a band who have finally got to where they want to be after the best part of half a decade. It’s not the best Kings Of Leon album, but it is the album that finally gets them to where they deserve to be – on top of the world.
RATING – 4/5
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Posted on September 27th, 2008 by Max
Filed under: Albums, Reviews
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