Despite a wave of criticism asserting that Kings of Leon’s fourth full-length is “too commercial,” Only by the Night may be the closest thing to a pitch-perfect album to drop in 2008. Granted, Tennessee’s band of brothers (and one first cousin) takes a turn for the heavily polished here, but what the album lacks in rough-edged raunch, it more than makes up for in earnestness and–yes–stunning beauty. From the opening notes of “Closer” to the listing balladry of “Cold Desert,” Only [Read More...]
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In several recent reviews, I’ve read Only By the Night decried as being “too commercial” or “too polished” and “straying too far from the Kings’ signature sound”. After a few listens, I’ve got to disagree with all of the above. As for the popular commercial appeal of this record, there is perhaps only one rock radio friendly single on this album and it’s already peaked. “Sex on Fire” has been the Kings’ most successful single to date. It has also been their most controversial, as far as their “old” fans are concerned.
“Sex of Fire” may not be the most sophisticated song, lyrically or musically, but neither were the Stones’ “Satisfaction” or Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire”. It’s just a darn good, darn catchy straight up rock ‘n’ roll song. Furthermore, it’s no more commercial than their last album’s first single, “On Call”- arguably more of a departure from the Kings’ established, musically raw style. Why folks get upset when a nominal indie band has a successful single that gets significant airplay on corporate rock radio is something that I can’t quite understand. This is not arena rock, in a pejorative sense, at least. The Kings have not become the American Coldplay.
Yes, Only By the Night is slightly more polished and perhaps more melodic, in a conventional sense, than the King’s earlier albums, but it still features the King’s musical trademarks: alternating rambling and cyclical song structures, non-virtuoso guitar solos (not necessarily a bad thing), and a truly unique and unaffected vocal style. The album isn’t more commercial, it’s more accessible. Yes, they’ve attempted to add a few sonic layers to several of the songs, Closer first and foremost among them. For the most part, this experiment has paid off. Closer, in particular, achieves a “spooky” atmospheric quality unprecedented in the Kings’ back catalogue.
I’ve read Crawl described as “Zepplinesque” but it sounds nothing like a Page/Plant creation. Instead, it calls to mind the Secret Machines’ debut’s throbbing synth/base loops. It is a propulsive song, chugging along like a runaway freight train rolling down the tracks at a leisurely 30mph- it doesn’t move too fast, but you still can’t stop it.
“Use Somebody” is perhaps the most poppy tune on the album. Once again, this is not necessarily a bad thing. “Revelry” is perhaps the most melodic song on the album, if not the band’s entire catalog. “Manhattan” too, is quite tuneful, if a bit more uptempo. “17″ is probably the least sophisticated song on the record, lyrically at least, but it isn’t unbearably so. Like most of the songs on this record, there is something strangely catchy about it. That, however, does not mean that the record is poppy. Its not.
My least favorite song on Only By The Night is “Be Somebody” which tends to ramble in a bad way. It is a Frankenstein’s monster of several disparate hooks, the sum being less than its parts. However, this song is the only one of the album’s 11 tracks that I’m ever tempted to skip. The last song on the album is the bleak but pretty “Cold Desert”, a strong down-tempo finisher.
Adding a few keyboards and studio effects to the holy rock trinity of guitar, drums, and base is not a cardinal sin but the Kings are taking a licking from many critics and hipsterm fans for attempting to, rather modestly, broaden their sound. These attacks are unfair. I’m not comparing Only By the Night to either of these two albums but I wonder if the critics and fans complained that Sgt. Peppers or Pet Sounds were over produced or strayed too far from their respective creators’ earlier works. More recently, even the rock minimalist Jack White has been experimenting with different arrangements, instruments, and overdubs on the last two White Stripes albums and, for the most part, received nothing but critical praise for it (if perhaps less commercial success than his previous releases).
Only By the Night is an attempt at musical growth. Maybe commercial success in America was a major motivator, but so what? The end result certainly justifies the means. And you’ve got to give these guys credit. Five strong albums in almost as many years is a rare achievement in this musical day and age. The fact that all of the Kings are under 30 years of old promises great things. Expect their next to be a musical masterpiece. In the meantime, enjoy Only By The Night for what it is- a pretty darn good album.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Music for the soul
This music totally speaks to your spirit and its music you can feel. I love listening to this cd and making others listen to it to when I’m in my car!
Many bands that stick around for more than 1 or 2 albums seem (IMHO) to follow a trend with two identifiable characteristics: (1) change, and (2) increasing commercial appeal. I think the complaints that “these guys aren’t the Kings of Leon they used to be” are tedious and based on a ridiculous expectation. It’s going to happen (if the band is any good and not Pearl Jam), so get over it. I don’t really care whether 10 or 1,000,000 other people want to listen to the album, or even whether a band was explicit in attempting to target a larger audience. The proper questions, it seems to me, are: Is is it good? Do I like listening to it? Is it going to stay in my car stereo for more than a few days? My answers to the first two are: Yes! and Yes! I can’t answer the third yet, but if their last album is any indication… probably so.
It’s only been a good year ago that Kings of Leon released their monster-sized album “Because of the Times”, which ended up in my personal top 3 of the best albums of 2007. After releasing “Because of the Times”, the band toured non-stop around the Americas and Europe, and so I was quite surprised to read a few months ago that a new album was already being finished for a Fall release. Here then comes the 4th studio album of Kings of Leon.
“Only By the Night” (11 tracks; 43 min.) continues the trail-blazing ways of “Because of the Times”, if possible even more so. The radio singles “Crawl” and “Sex on Fire” are quite good but also a bit misleading, in the sense that there are a lot of epic “atmospheric” songs, with plenty of walls of (guitar) sounds. This band has become now more than ever an arena-sized band. The highlights for me include “Manhattan” (one of the tracks they played at their headlining show at Glastonbury earlier this summer in the UK), “17″ (the days of the Beatles’ innocent lines like “Well she was young and 17/Yeah you know what I mean” are long gone….), and the album closer “Cold Desert”, but honestly I didn’t hear any ‘weak’ tracks on here. The CD I bought came with a bonus live CD (7 tracks, 25 min.) from a performance of the band in April, 2007 at the Hammersmith Appolo in London, bringing 4 tracks from the then-new “Because of the Times” album, including a terrific “Fans” (a salute to the band’s huge UK fan base), “My Party”, and “Arizona”, along with a couple of “Aha Shake Heartbreak” album tracks, just terrific. Seek it out if you can.
In all, “Only By the Night” is a great album. Is it as good as “Because of the Times”? Only time will tell: if I find myself playing this CD as much a year from now as I am still playing “Because of the Times”, I will know the answer. Meanwhile, King of Leon’s musical growth in just a matter of 4-5 years is simply amazing. “Youth and Young Manhood” and “Aha Shake Heartbreak” almost sound like they were made by a different band (don’t ever call them the “Southern Strokes” again!). Last but not least, KoL are HUGE in Europe, particularly in the UK. I don’t know whether they’ll ever break as big here in the US, but certainly this album is better than 99% of the stuff released these days.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good
The Refreshing Vocals and music style is really great.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants a change..
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth a listen
KOL isn’t for everybody but “Only by the Night” is a solid album. The first half is near perfect but halfway through it looses it’s charm.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Keeper
Yes, I know loyal Kings of Leon fans will be upset by this, but…This is my first KOL CD, and I have to say it is genius.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great sound!!
I just purchased this CD & I’ve ordered their other releases as a result. I’m a woman of 52, but I still enjoy great music.
5.0 out of 5 stars
ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS I OWN
Great band, great album; I just love every single song on this album
I Want You is my absolute favorite; the rhythm is intoxicating
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stellar
I haven’t been so enthusiastic about a band since high school (about half a life time ago). This is truly one of the best “albums” to come out in a long, long, time.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended
I would highly recommend this album to anybody. You have some CDS where it seems to be the only great track, is the one, that is released on the radio.
2.0 out of 5 stars
I can’t get through it.
I’ve tried to listen to this CD multiple times and not once have I been able to sit through it. Not only do the songs sound the same, but the lyrics are terrible accompanied by a…
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beauty in the Ears of the Beholder. A Balanced Review
A lot has been said about this album. Many hardcore fans of the band have cried blasphemy since its release, yet the whole world rejoiced and sang along to “Sex on Fire,” (as…