Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night (2008)

Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night (2008)

Kings Of Leon are a rock band made up of three brothers and a cousin, from Columbia, Tennessee, U.S.A. Their influences range from Southern rock, indie, to blues styles. Their critically acclaimed first and second albums have given them a devoted following, especially in Europe. The group's name is derived from Nathan, Caleb, and Jared Followill's father and grandfather, both named Leon.
'Only By The Night' is the fourth album by Kings Of Leon. It was released on September 19th 2008 in the Republic of Ireland, Germany, Australia and Belgium and September 22/23rd 2008 in the UK and U.S.A. This fourth album from the Followill's 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. To date the album has peaked at No.1 in the charts in the UK, Australia and Ireland.

With 2007's Because of the Times, Kings of Leon ventured out of the garage and into the arena. Tracks like "Black Thumbnail" and "Camaro" were bold anthemic rock songs that built upon the barnyard stomp of Youth & Young Manhood, and Because of the Times topped the U.K. charts upon its debut, officially crowning the Kings as rock & roll royalty in the process. Only by the Night arrives one year later, marking the band's fastest turnaround between albums; it also furthers the epic sound that Times introduced, flaunting a set of ringing guitars and radio-ready melodies that push the band away from the Allman Brothers' camp. If anything, much of this album takes up residence in U2's cathedral, particularly during the one-two-three punch of "Sex on Fire," "Use Somebody," and "Manhattan." Caleb Followill doesn't adopt Bono's political agenda, but the same sort of uplift exists throughout the record, which -- during its best moments -- rivals Aha Shake Heartbreak as the band's best work to date.

Like many big-sounding albums, Only by the Night is a polarizing piece of work, one that targets new fans at the expense of those who wish Kings of Leon had never shaved their beards or discovered post-'70s rock. To rope in the skeptics, the strongest tracks are pushed toward the album's first half. "Crawl" flexes the band's rock & roll muscle, melding Led Zeppelin-styled crunch with the experimental guitar buzz of U2's Achtung Baby, while "Sex on Fire" makes up for its goofy title with a meteoric chorus tailored to Caleb's voice. (He sounds fantastic throughout the record, even if his vocals continue to be garbled by some untraceable accent, as if he's auditioning for the Jodie Foster role in a Broadway adaptation of Nell.) Rounding out the hit-filled segment are "Use Somebody" and "Manhattan," where Matthew Followill cloaks his guitar riffs in reverb and bassist Jared Followill takes the spotlight sporadically, popping up for quick melodic fills before ducking back into the mix. While past Kings of Leon albums concerned themselves with alcohol, women, and other hedonistic themes, those two songs are nothing but pop/rock grandeur, and Caleb howls their hopeful lyrics like Bono's American-born cousin. Only by the Night focuses on textures and experimentation during the album's latter half, but most songs still deliver some sort of Technicolor melody, from "Notion" (one of the only tracks featuring piano) to the unexpected chorus of "Be Somebody." Taken as a whole, Only by the Night targets the audience that approved Kings of Leon's sonic shift in 2007, leaving older fans free to damn these tracks for their consciously grand approach. Yes, the album is indebted to U2. Yes, it briefly veers close to the same territory occupied by Meat Loaf and Journey, if only in the passion of Caleb's voice. But Only by the Night is still a potent Kings of Leon record, and the guys have never defined their ambition so clearly before...Andrew Leahey

320 @
99 MB

Tracklist:

01. Closer 3:57
02. Crawl 4:06
03. Sex On Fire 3:23
04. Use Somebody 3:50
05. Manhattan 3:24
06. Revelry 3:21
07. 17 3:05
08. Notion 3:00
09. I Want You 5:07
10. Be Somebody 3:47
11. Cold Desert 5:34