Kings Of Leon were known to be wild boys who played garage rock talking about sex and the life as a rock star. The tunes were fast, rough, and gritty. They were gods in the UK but never quite lived to the same reputation from their own country (United States). They did have a strong base of fans that adored the “southern version of The Strokes”, but they never got the success they deserved. With their last album ‘Because Of The Times’ the band showcased their new ‘arena’ sound that really caught my attention. I thought the band put a good take of it, and really showcased some good songs such as ‘On Call’, ‘Ragoo‘ and the epic ‘Knocked Up’. It was a brave move to change their sound but it took them to a whole new level that shot them up in the U.K. even more so. The songs just rocked. Yet, they still seemed short of success in the good old U.S.
This has changed with the release of their 4th album ‘Only By The Night’. It marks their highest ranking on the billboard charts at #4. Their previous best was #25 (Because Of The Times). They continue their epic stadium rock sound that people call attempts to sound like “U2”. Some people say the songs are beautiful, some say it sound forced, some just don’t give a shit because they cannot stand the attitude that is seen in their lyrics. Well here is what I think. The first half of this album is fucking great. They set out to make songs that will rock your surround sound and arenas. From the first track ‘Closer’, to ‘Manhattan’ you got some big songs that showcase this arena sound quite well. ‘Sex On Fire’ is a great, great single that I have been listening to non-stop since I saw them play it live at All Points West. The hook is undeniably fantastic, despite if you think the lyric is corny. It is executed quite well. ‘Crawl’ features a dirty bass line that displays a good combination of their familiar dirty garage sound with their take at stadium rock. ‘Use Somebody’ is features all the band members proving ‘oohs‘ right before Caleb takes over. It is a big anthem that has big bass and a guitar solo. They are aching for a big sound that would take over the radio waves. ‘Manhattan is a song where Caleb’s voice truly shines. I am a fan of his voice and I think it is his delivery that makes this track memorable.
The flaw with this album is the 2nd half is no where as good as the first half. They over powered the front end of this album, leaving the 2nd half’s slower tunes more vulnerable. This is where KOL need to re-evaluate themselves. Their gritty southern sound built there fan base, these stadium anthems can be great if they add a bit of their old sound in the mix (like on Crawl). Songs like ‘Revelry’ just seem forced. The boys need to do what comes natural to themselves and not try to change their music just to break the U.S.
This album features some really strong songs on the first half. It may not contain the best lyrics, but it is good fun garage rock that is suited for areans. The second half is inconsistant with ballads that did not do it for me. ‘Because Of The Times’ had a good mix of rockers and slower athematic songs that was both familiar but a reinvention of themselves. This new album tried to force the issue to much and they lost focus. The album is worth getting though, who knows maybe it will get better over time.
Rating: 7.4
1. Closer – 4.5/5
2. Crawl – 4.75
3. Sex on Fire – 5/5
4. Use Somebody – 4.25/5
5. Manhattan – 4.75/5
6. Revelry – 2.75/5
7. 17 – 2.5/5
8. Notion – 3/5
9. I Want You – 2.75/5
10. Be Somebody – 3.5/5
11. Cold Desert 3/5
Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire (MP3)
Kings Of Leon – Manhattan (MP3)
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