Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night - 2008

  

The fourth album from the Followill brothers finds them re-connecting with their Southern roots. In a similar vein to 2003's 'Youth and Young Manhood', Kings Of Leon reaffirm their country origins while still writing powerful rock numbers that sit comfortably next to some revealing down-tempo numbers. Although this is the Kings Of Leon's heaviest to date, fans won't find it to be a huge departure from the band's already impressive back catalogue.

Track Listing
Closer
Crawl
Sex On Fire
Use Somebody
Manhattan
Revelry
17
Notion
I Want You
Be Somebody
Cold Desert

Already on course to be one of the year's biggest sellers, Only By the Night has sealed Kings of Leon's unlikely position as Britain's favourite American rock band. The Followill brothers (and cousin) have always been tagged as part of a southern rock tradition of family bands such as the Allmans and Lynyrd Skynyrd, a label they vehemently refuted. But the skinny lads certainly looked like a classic rock act, even as they took musical inspiration from indie contemporaries The Strokes and eighties new wave acts such as The Cure and New Order. Only By the Night is effectively a sequel to 2006's terrific Because of the Times, their third record and the first where they nailed their own sound, a striking amalgam of bluesy vocals and post-punk primitivism. In comparison Only By the Night consolidates rather than advances their style. The appropriately incoherent "Sex on Fire", already a chart topping single, is catchy but sounds lightweight next to songs like the fierce "Crawl" and the stadia-ready "Cold Desert" and "Manhattan". The dissonant, almost amateurish "17" is most out of place, though Caleb Followill still bawls it with the same passion he brings to even the clumsiest couplet. More notable are several sparse romantic pleas that often borrow licks from classic Southern soul. The yearning "I Want You" is little more than its title, but it certainly convinces, while "Revelry" and the vulnerable "Use Somebody" show signs of impending maturity. Only By the Night's simplicity certainly has a wide appeal. --Steve Jelbert

Customer Reviews

brilliant 
ths is a beautiful album- who cares what their previous stuff is like- this is THIS album- i love it - its a beautiful collection of great guitar melodies and words. calebs voice is honey and they music is bliss to go with it.really ace.

Arrested Development 
Once more the Kings have produced an album of sublime quality, all killer no filler. Yes its different in style from Aha and Y&YM but just a further development of the the sound we heard on Because of the Times. This change in style has nevertheless produced an album of the highest quality - again! My greatest concern going forward is what the hell do they play in their live sets - a problem which can only be answered by playing a 3 hour set surely? A tip - listen to all four albums on shuffle on your ipod it will prove to you that the only thing that has changed is nothing!!!

Wow 
Before this album I'd heard of the Kings of Leon but never really paid them much attention. I bought this album for three reasons 1) I'd heard 'Sex on Fire', 2) a friend said it was good and 3) It was cheap on Amazon. Wow, what an album. By far the best I bought in 2008 and I bet it won't be beaten in 2009. A cert for every award going next year. Can't recomend this strongly enough, it's Dave Matthews, Pink Floyd and Coldplay all in one but with ten times more energy.